


Darker Yet Darker

by UndertaleThingem



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A little angst, Actually almost every major character appears at some point, Additional tags to be added eventually, Bad Puns, But some of them are spoilers, Flowey is a jerk, Gen, Let me know if I should add any others, a little fluff, a nice mix of everything, pre-game, so I've tagged the main ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2018-08-16 03:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 67,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8085877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndertaleThingem/pseuds/UndertaleThingem
Summary: Getting the position of royal scientist was far easier than Alphys expected.She didn't expect it to lead down such an awful path.At least she doesn't know how bad it could've been. She could have broken reality and erased herself from existence.(updates whenever the next chapter is done--we're almost through!)





	1. A New Assignment

“Now that you are the royal scientist, you are more than welcome to move into the private labs and have a workspace of your own,” Asgore said, his deep voice vibrating as much in Alphys’ chest as it did the rest of the throne room. She swallowed nervously, nodding when her own voice failed her, and the boss monster patted her shoulder gently with a massive paw. It felt lighter than the burden its owner had just bestowed upon her, and she only hoped she wouldn’t collapse under the additional weight. Luckily, as shaky as her legs were, they held.

“Th-thank you sir. I’ll get started right away,” she finally managed to squeak out, and the king shook his head, smiling warmly.

“There is no need for such urgency. Go, celebrate! The work can wait until you have settled in and properly made yourself at home,” Asgore encouraged, pulling back to clasp his hands. “I will give you a few days to yourself, and then I wish to meet again to discuss potential projects. Is that alright?”

Ah. Right. As royal scientist she would not only be working on her own research, but requests from the king as well. “Y-yes, of course!”

Her words tumbled out faster than she would’ve liked, but the king didn’t seem to mind. He was such a patient, understanding fellow—if he’d been anything else no doubt she’d be even more of a wreck. She hated being this nervous, but it never failed that if she had to do something important or talk to someone ranked higher than her colleagues, any sense of composure she had nearly evaporated. Asgore didn’t mean to be intimidating—he made every effort not to be, really—but for Alphys, it made no difference. It didn’t help he was even more handsome up close; she alternated between staring at a spot just above his head and the floor to avoid blushing too hard.

“Very well. I imagine we both have things to attend to, but I look forward to seeing you again. Farewell, Doctor Alphys!”

“Y-yeah, see you later,” she said, resisting slapping a claw over her face for saying something so informal. Before she could embarrass herself any further, she shuffled from the throne room with eyes fixed on the ground before her. Glancing up just often enough to keep from bumping into anyone, she sped through the streets of New Home with all manner of thoughts buzzing through her head. How should she break the news to her colleagues and friends? What new project should she work on to keep Asgore’s interest? They hadn’t been used in years—what sort of equipment would the private labs have? Where was she supposed to put her manga collection?

Before she knew it, the door to her small house was in front of her nose. She looked up at it and heaved a sigh. It wasn’t fancy as far as houses went, wedged between a dozen others like it. But it was her first home away from her parents and where she’d worked, studied, and relaxed for many years. No doubt she would miss it… but now, it was time to move on to something bigger, better.

The best science facility the Underground had to offer, reserved for the best mind the Underground had to offer, and it was hers.

\--

“That should be the last of it,” a large monster said roughly, setting a hefty cardboard box down near a stack of its kin.

“Thank you so much you guys, I can take it from here,” Alphys said, waving to the movers as they headed out. The lab door slid down behind them, and Alphys reveled in the first moment of true quiet she’d had in three days. The day after she’d gotten the assignment, she’d called up her friends and had a wild party full of good food, laughter, and bad karaoke; the next day, she’d had hours of packing ahead of her. She’d never realized how much stuff she actually owned, and it was intimidating to look at all those boxes now and know she’d have to unpack that by herself. Well, it could wait. She hadn’t given the facility a proper inspection yet and needed to figure out where to put everything anyway. A suitably productive distraction that would give her time to think.

Taking a deep breath, Alphys adjusted her glasses and began taking stock of the place she’d be calling home. The main floor was spacious and tiled, perfect for large projects that required a lot of room. There was a computer terminal along the wall, but it was small and decidedly outdated—she’d make some improvements later, when she was more organized. The upstairs section was no different in basic design, with some space set aside for tables but otherwise meant to be the living quarters. A closet was set against the wall, and a simple, lonely cot sat nearby, barren of any bedding. Alphys gave it pause, wondering who had slept on such meager furnishing before moving back downstairs. There was one last door that maybe led to storage, or the bathroom—Alphys wasn’t sure which. But trying the switch, she found it was locked, and no amount of tinkering or percussive maintenance made it budge. She’d have to see about fixing that later; all told, it was a standard laboratory with simple, clean, straightforward features. And very, very empty. It felt cold and impersonal compared to her old house, and maybe it was time she changed that. Rolling up her sleeves, Alphys grabbed a box cutter and got to work on unpacking her things.

It took a few more days to get everything sorted—what had filled a small house in New Home now felt perfectly inadequate in the expansive lab. Aside from a few decorations for her desk, most of her belongings were just enough to fill out the upper level, so she made that area her bedroom. She dumped the threadbare cot for one of her own inventions, a bed that folded into a space-saving cube and was as comfortable as it was efficient; with the addition of some bookshelves for her personal library and a few posters on the wall, it started to feel like home. Having to carry so much stuff upstairs had worn her out, and in a fit of inspiration she’d already replaced one of the stairways with a conveyor belt. The other’s days were numbered.

A knock at the door early one afternoon made her jump; she’d gotten used to the relatively quiet hum of machinery and this part of Hotland wasn’t exactly a bustling center of activity, so visitors were rare. She ran her hands over her lab coat to smooth any wrinkles before answering, and was surprised to see the king himself standing before her. Of course—how could she forget he’d wanted to meet with her in a week? She gazed up as his rugged form and tugged at her collar, hoping the pink tint rising under her scales wasn’t too obvious.

“O-oh, hello A-Asgore,” she stuttered out, forcing a smile.

“Howdy, Doctor!” he greeted cheerfully, extending his hand, which she gingerly shook. “I trust things have been going well here?”

“Y-yes! Er, I’m afraid things aren’t totally cleaned up but uh come in, I guess?” she stammered, beckoning awkwardly, and the king obliged, ducking under the doorframe.

“Do not worry. Trust me, there have been many times my own home looked worse.”

“R-really?” Alphys asked, caught off-guard by the thought of someone like Asgore having a messy room. Didn’t he have people to clean for him? He was the king.

He chuckled, giving her a bashful nod. “I’m afraid so. I am not as diligent as… Tori, was. It is easy to fall behind on chores when you have so much more to be concerned with.”

“Yeah,” Alphys laughed nervously, though less nervously than she felt. “That makes sense. Uh… so… what… brings you here today?”

At this, Asgore’s face fell. Not by much, but enough that Alphys regretted asking. He gestured towards the table, and she agreed to his unspoken suggestion that they sit. She wished she had some tea brewing, but then, she’d had no chance to prepare anything for her guest.

“I hope things have been going well here. You have certainly… put your own touch on the place,” Asgore began, his eyes wandering around the lab, and Alphys got the sense he didn’t want to talk about whatever he was here for. “I hope it comes to be a wonderful home for you.”

“Y-yeah. It’s... a little outdated, but I’ve already managed to improve it in some ways. I-I have some other ideas for what I could do b-but…” Alphys trailed, studying her visitor.

“Glad to hear it. It is yours to build upon as you please, and you may have whatever materials you need,” Asgore said, and she stared at him.

Though all science was conducted with the support of the royal court, it could still be a struggle to get supplies and funding. Resources were desperately limited, and while monster kind had always made the most of the lot it had been dealt, it did mean large projects faced extra scrutiny. Alphys had always worked under the assumption that if her experiments didn’t pay off or were too ambitious, then she may have to abandon them. Part of the allure of becoming royal scientist was being able to work on one’s personal research freely, but this promise of anything she could possibly need? It seemed too generous to be true and rendered her speechless.

“I imagine you will need plenty. I… have something to ask of you.”

Here it was.

“You are welcome to work on your own ideas of course, but… as you know, the main duty of the royal scientist is to explore the nature of the barrier and see if there is a way to destroy it,” Asgore continued, his voice weary. “While we have made progress in some areas, and life has improved greatly for monsters everywhere thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists like yourself, we cannot become complacent or lose hope.”

Alphys nodded slowly. “I… I know. I’ll admit… I haven’t exactly given it much thought.”

“That is quite alright. I know you were not expecting to have such a task placed upon you, but I believe you are the best choice for this… given your work on souls,” Asgore said, all of his usual friendly airs gone, dropped in favor of a serious tone that matched his request.

“O-oh, well, of course. Though Mettaton—”

Asgore held up a paw. “You made a machine with an artificial soul. Though you demonstrated his is no more powerful than a typical monster soul, it is far more progress than any of your colleagues’ studies. You know the care it takes, the equipment to use. I would not trust this with anyone else.”

Alphys held her tongue while Asgore withdrew something from under his cloak and placed it on the table before her. It was a stack of papers, some kind of thin notebook, and a keycard, all tied together with twine. She stared at it for a bit, then reached out and slid the small stack over to unwrap it and flip through the notes. Calculations flicked under her claws, diagrams and observations from some past experiment. She looked back up at her king, eyes questioning.

“These are the notes of an experiment that, from what I have gathered, seems quite promising, but for reasons unknown to me it was left to the wayside. It is… an idea to take the human’s power for our own. I was hoping you might revisit it and see if there’s more to be done,” he explained gravely. “I cannot make complete sense of it, and I do not recall this material being presented to me nor who may have been doing such work… but I am still left with the impression they may lead us to freedom. Oh, and that is the key to the lower levels. I forgot to give it to you with the others.”

“I… I see. I’ll look into it,” Alphys agreed, taking the plastic card into her claws. Well, that would explain why she hadn’t been able to open that last door.

“Thank you. I’m sure you will make great strides. If you need anything to get underway, let me know and I will see to it. And… please take care in how you proceed. With the nature of this work being what it is… you must not tell anyone of this.”

The king left her to think on his words. So this was the real task of the royal scientist—not just breaking the barrier, or making some piece of technology so wonderful it could restore hope to monster kind, but classified research only the king could know about. Of course, she had her own research she kept hidden so really it shouldn’t have surprised her. Mettaton wasn’t really a robot with an artificial soul after all—though he was an achievement in other ways. Just not the way Asgore thought, but if he’d known the truth, well… no, she was on her way to getting what she wanted out of life. She’d work hard on whatever it was he wanted her to do and prove herself.

Alphys picked the little notebook up and flipped through it again, wondering whose hand had penned those equations and symbols and filled its pages with diagrams and data. Was it the same person who’d slept in only a cot, or did these pre-date even them? With how worn and yellowed the paper was, she supposed it was possible, but there were no names or dates to mark the journal’s origins either way.

She’d think about that later—she had an entirely new section of her house to inspect, and that sounded a lot easier than poring over an experiment she didn’t know anything about. Grabbing the keycard, she headed down to the locked door and slid the key into the reader. With a soft beep, the door opened on a short, dark hall. A rush of cool air greeted her, even cooler than the conditioned air of the rest of the lab. Off to one side was another door with a small sign on it—ah, so that’s where the bathroom was. Having it behind a locked door was… inconvenient at best. Maybe she’d fix that too, but of far more interest was the elevator at the end of the passage. Stepping forward, Alphys hit the button, and as the doors slid closed behind her, she wondered just what she’d find below.

There couldn’t have been a greater contrast between the main levels. The elevator opened on a dimly lit landing, the air cold and clammy on her scales. Alphys resisted a shudder as she stepped forward and waited for her eyes to adjust to the low light; it was like she was in an entirely different facility. A single corridor led to the left, and with no other way to go, she cautiously began her investigation. Her feet made timid slapping sounds as she walked on the chilly floor, the noise almost a relief in the heavy silence—there wasn’t even the low, comforting hum of electronics. It felt like she shouldn’t be there.

She passed through a long hallway, where dark monitor screens dotted the stained and cracked paneling. Besides the emergency lighting that was just enough to see by, there didn’t seem to be any power running to the electrical systems—she’d have to investigate that. The hall made another left, and she found herself in a small lobby. Withered potted plants dotted the tile floor, but otherwise the gray paneled walls were devoid of decoration. A heavy door was set into the middle of the wall, all but one of its indicator lights dark, and it wouldn’t budge when she approached or tried moving it herself. There was a vending machine to her left with a few packaged snacks still in the slots—the brands were so old Alphys didn’t recognize them. Just how long had it been since anyone had worked down here...? There were two doors on either side of the main hub, and taking a deep breath, Alphys headed to the right, figuring that was as good a choice as any.

The next room she found was large and spacious, and felt more like a classroom than a top-secret government facility. Chalkboards lined the wall to her right, and tables were laid out in neat rows. The cardboard boxes stacked under one proved to have some basic equipment like flasks and tubing, and the drawers of another held a number of smaller tools like calipers, compasses, and pens. It was all standard fare that didn’t tell her anything about the previous occupant. There were two more doors near the back, so she took the one closest to her right again. It led to a long, straight corridor with tables set along one side and mirrors on the other; at the very back was a room with a deactivated power station. She reinserted the key, and it flickered to life. Finally, some noise, slight as it was. Satisfied, she turned back to see where the other door led. She was met with another choice, and figured going right hadn’t failed her yet. But that way dead-ended into a ventilation system—a wall of huge fans was quite the sight, but it wasn’t what the lab was for. She headed back through yet another long hallway, the first person to cross its length in who knew how long.

Alphys tugged her coat closer around her as she walked. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, a sense that something more should have been here but wasn’t. Of course, she suspected part of that feeling was the fact she was alone down here—she was used to a lab that bustled with activity, full of brilliant minds working on the next great thing. This lab was silent, empty… hollow. And yet she still felt like she was being watched, her every action an intrusion. She didn’t belong here. Maybe she shouldn’t even know it existed.

“Oh… oh my…” Alphys uttered as she entered the next room, unable to help herself.

She’d expected some equipment to be left, but a large, skull-like construct suspended from the ceiling was about as far from anything she’d considered as could be. Tinged a dull red, it loomed over a recessed floor, the bottom of which was hidden in shadow. She could only guess at its purpose, and fought off a shudder and the sense it was watching her as she backed away. Its eye sockets were hollow and blank; they could not pass judgement on her nor anyone else.

She’d leave that for later. There was still that other door way back by the sealed one she hadn’t explored. Even if it was a bit of a trek back that way, it still had to be better than whatever that thing was. Despite the fact it had to be an inert machine, she didn’t trust it one bit.

She finally reached the lobby and headed for the door on the left; passing through a short corridor, she found her pace slowing as she entered the next room. It was long and narrow, with a high ceiling draped in loose piping. She shuffled down its length, eyeing the abandoned equipment with dread twisting in her soul; her feet suddenly stuck to the floor, and looking down she grimaced at the ugly stain that had seeped into the tile. She’d have to test that substance later, after she’d showered about a dozen times. She forced herself to press on, since the tile seemed stained where it wasn’t just plain grimy, and a damp, musty smell hung in the air. To her left along the wall was a low table, and a short shelf ran just above it, fitted with large round sockets spaced evenly along its length. There were at least a dozen of them if not more, and the tubing on the ceiling seemed to align with them. What had they held? What was the nature of the experiments had been conducted here? How could the air of a vacant room be so heavy with a presence that prickled along her spine like static?

Alphys swallowed hard and continued to the last door at the back, near a row of sinks. She found a small room that housed another power terminal—but this one was active, its red lights glimmering. It matched the indicator that had been lit on the blast door. She heaved a sigh, taking a moment to calm down before heading on. It seemed she had no choice but to confront that massive, ominous device in the other room, and she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Alphys finally returned to the room with the strange machine, and checked a small room near the back; to her surprise it held a TV and shelves with a few old tapes stacked nearby, like some kind of instruction or break room. There were power controls here too, so she reactivated those before heading out to face the device and walk past it warily. Bearing a dull bonelike sheen, it looked like it could have been alive, might awaken at any moment and do… what, she couldn’t guess at. But it remained mercifully inert as she edged by, and she trotted down the hall, eager to leave the strange device behind her. She felt a little silly running from something the way she was—it was illogical and unbecoming of someone with the title of royal scientist. Skulls were the hallmark of skeleton monsters, and their magic manifested as bones of all kinds—that much she knew. But skeleton monsters were rare, and the fact this bit of magic persisted with no obvious user was an eerie anomaly that sent fearful tremors through Alphys’ soul and set her on edge. As she headed to the next room, she was happy to put it behind her for the time being.

She found a cold storage room outfitted with four ancient fridges and the space for a fifth—in fact, it looked like there’d been one there before, judging by the scuffs on the tile. There was another power control switch at the back, and she made sure that one was working too before she left, hoping that was the last one.

As she passed back through cold storage, something poking out from beneath one of the fridges caught her eye. Curiosity piqued, she shuffled over and knelt, carefully teasing the thin object out with her claws. It turned out to be a sheet of faintly stained paper folded into a square, and more than a couple dust bunnies clung to its corners. She blew them off and unfolded it, eager for some clue in this mess of forgotten science.

What looked like one sheet was actually a pair of thin pages stuck together, but that was hardly the most interesting thing about them. Alphys stared at the odd symbols that ran down the pages before her, uncomprehending. They weren’t the symbols for equations, although there were a couple of those interspersed within the bizarre text. No, this seemed like some sort of code instead. Maybe she’d analyze it with her computer later, but in the meantime, it all looked like gibberish. In fact, she had a hard time focusing on it, like just looking at it was wearing her eyes out—they danced on the page, stuttering in the corners of her vision like an optical illusion. Granted, a dimly-lit lab was a poor environment to read anything in with her already bad eyesight, but that didn’t feel like the right explanation. No, these… letters… it was like they didn’t want to exist.

Shaking her head out, she folded the papers back up and tucked them into her pocket. Silence pressed down around her heavier than ever, as if to drown out all the sound these rooms had been filled with before. It almost had a presence all its own, and she was intruding on something that was never meant to be disturbed.

The refrigerator next to her vibrated.

Alphys leapt back and crashed into the far wall, reacting before she could see where she was going. Her shoulder throbbed painfully and was almost definitely going to bruise later, but for now she remained frozen, flattened against the wall as she stared at the appliance. It didn’t move again, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off it. Fridges didn’t vibrate, not the way that one had. She would know, she’d helped modify or repair more than a few and was familiar with all the tech the Underground used. A plugged-in fridge hummed with steady power, and maybe rattled a bit when the coolant pump kicked on. These fridges were silent and still… for the most part.

This one—the one that had moved—had shuddered in place but made not a single sound, not even the scrape of its rubber feet against the tiles. It was like it wasn’t there, or she’d imagined it. That had to be it, her eyes were playing tricks on her after staying up late last night, and she was just tired. If it actually had moved, it would have made a sound, but a quick little hallucination fed by sleep deprivation and adrenaline couldn’t.

Once her breathing evened out and she didn’t feel like her heart might explode, Alphys pulled away from the wall. Heaving a shaky breath, she stepped up to the anomalous fridge, and with trembling hands, flung its door open. There were a few racks for test tubes left inside, but otherwise the shelves were vacant and clean. Closing it, she walked all the way around the appliance, inspecting it, making sure it really was unplugged and had all of its little rubber feet and could not in any conceivable way move for one reason or another. Nothing turned up. She really must have imagined it—that’s the only thing that made sense, so that had to be it… right? Nothing else made sense.

Satisfied with her investigation but left with a lingering feeling her explanation was inadequate, Alphys left the room behind. She ignored the skull-like apparatus as best she could, not wanting any more minor hallucinations to bite at her already frayed nerves, and returned to the lobby to find the blast door leading to the main power controls finally opened when she drew near. She was eager see what was up with the lighting and computer systems—those were things she could handle.

She found herself in another elevator with a second door to her left. Wearily, she headed for it—she had to know everything about this place if she was really going to use it. After trudging through another hallway with nothing to offer but lifeless screens, she entered another room. But this one… the walls seemed hidden in shadow, with only a few ventilation and conduit tubes visible in the half-light.

The centerpiece was the generator. Its red readouts seemed to leer at her, and she could make out something with a similar crimson glow through a small glass panel set into the thick metal frame. Approaching the keyboard, she looked it over; despite the construction looking positively ancient, it still operated perfectly as she clicked through the simple menu. Whatever this generator was, it seemed to be linked to the Core but operated separately of it—a useful feature considering the Core could still experience dangerous fluctuations if it wasn’t properly maintained. Having a separate power supply meant delicate experiments wouldn’t be affected by the Core’s fickle nature.

Done surveying its functions, Alphys went back through the generator’s menu and made sure power had been restored to the lab. All things considered, she was actually pleased with how things had gone. Sure, there were more than a few weird mysteries lingering here, and she constantly felt like she was being watched, and there was a slight chance something unethical had been conducted here… but this was a chance for a new start! She could renovate it completely, get rid of the stained tiles and disconnected tubing and giant… skull thing, and transform it into the modern facility it should be. Yes, making it her own would really turn this place around! Perfect.

She closed out the computer and turned to happily head back, ready to rejoin the land of light and anime. But it seemed the lab had one last mystery to present to her. Her foot brushed against a divot in the floor, and she wrote it off as another cracked tile before she managed to step on another one. Glancing down, she noticed there were several—they were evenly-spaced holes about a foot apart from each other, paired with two more to make a square. It looked like something had been bolted down here, but Alphys couldn’t imagine what. She’d had enough.

After a long slog back through a lab that despite operating at full power was no brighter than when she’d arrived, she returned to the first elevator gratefully and wearily pressed the button. Once she got upstairs, she’d be taking a nap, and then maybe watch some ‘Mew Mew Kissy Cutie’ until it was properly time for bed. Nothing like good anime to soothe the soul… well, hers, anyway. Asgore’s assignment could wait until tomorrow. Or maybe even longer than that. She wasn’t in any real hurry to go back downstairs.


	2. Catching Up

A few weeks had passed since Alphys’ foray into the lower levels of her home, and she was in no hurry to go back. Mettaton had swung by a few times to allow her to continue working on his body, and they’d chatted happily about humans and the robot’s budding career as a TV personality. It was a welcome distraction from what the king had asked her to do, which if she was perfectly honest about had overwhelmed her. She wasn’t really sure where to start on such a monumental task, even with the notes Asgore had dropped off to go on. She’d glanced through them, but the handwriting was difficult to parse, as though its author had struggled to use the standard alphabet. What she could understand struck her as incomplete; the thin notebook was rife with references to undefined concepts, data from previous experiments, and equations with unlabeled variables. Some pages were full to bursting with writing that curved to crawl on the margins, only for the next page to be completely blank. This wasn’t a published, presentable thesis so much as it was the unorganized notes of a work in progress.

There were some parts that made more sense than she’d have liked, though. Namely, the vague blueprints and careful sketches of that ominous, skull-like device she’d learned was titled the Determination Extractor. Why it was called that, who had designed it, and how it operated was still a mystery to her, but at least now she knew it was connected to what the king had assigned her. Having to pick up someone else’s methodology and materials would be no easy task, that much was certain, and with only a few papers and a puzzle of a notebook to go on she had her work cut out for her. She could do it, but even with her skills it would take some time.

And then there were the sheets she’d found under the refrigerator, covered in strange symbols. Alphys had been confident running them through a frequency analysis would decode them, at least partially, but the computer had encountered an error every time until partway through her sixth attempt it crashed completely. She’d nearly crumpled those symbols between her claws in a fit of frustration, but managed to regain her composure before she destroyed them and the secrets they hid; she hadn’t looked at them since, leaving them stacked beside the monitor and all but forgotten.

Today was already shaping up to be unproductive. She’d messaged one of her colleagues about doing a possible re-code of the Undernet that would make it faster and easier to use, but he’d logged off a couple hours ago now without much of a reply. Mettaton was off… being Mettaton and wouldn’t be dropping by anytime soon—not that she had much more to do on his body now anyway, since they were both still figuring out the details of phase two and implementing any of it was a long way off. Maybe she’d tinker with her phone again and see how many dimensional boxes could be added before space destabilized…? No. Definitely not. She could head to the dump and scrounge for new materials…?

She jumped at the buzz of her doorbell; maybe what she needed was a surveillance system so people wouldn’t sneak up on her all the time like this. Stretching, she got up from her desk and opened the door—and to her surprise it was the skeleton monster Sans. It was funny she’d just been thinking about dimensional boxes; he’d been a huge help when she’d been developing those some years ago. Friendly and ready to crack a joke at a moment’s notice, he’d overheard her thinking out loud and struck up a conversation at some restaurant a while back; after listening to her complain about the project he’d made a suggestion that fixed a power consumption issue she’d run into. It was honestly impressive, and though he never gave her a straight answer as to why he was so well-versed in theoretical physics, she’d come to trust his advice. But it was seldom he came to her for anything, and she wondered what could have brought him out to visit her today.

“Oh hi Sans! It’s been a while, huh,” she said brightly, waving him in.

“yup,” he said with a nod. “with you out in hotland now, there’s a few degrees of separation.”

Alphys took a moment to get the joke, but Sans seemed satisfied with her snorting laughter once she did.

“Yeah, it’s definitely a lot lonelier compared to home, but it’s nice having a place to call mine. How’ve you been?”

“we’re holdin’ up,” Sans replied casually. “gettin’ the odd job, slacking off on the odd job, the usual. papyrus finally got that racecar bed out of the dump, he’s pretty stoked about that.”

“Ha ha, I bet,” Alphys replied with a smile. She didn’t know much about Sans’ younger brother, but he always sounded like a delight. Of course, Sans was heavily biased and it showed. “So, wh—why did you come see me? Something you wanted to know about or…?”

“heh, yeah actually. i thought maybe you’d have a copy of that dissertation kolph put out a while back—the one on quantum state magic interactions. any chance it’s hiding out between your comic books?” Sans asked, teasing good-naturedly.

“They’re called manga, and no, I have everything organized by subject so they’re not even close,” Alphys retorted, laughing all the while. “But yeah, I should have it. How’d you hear about that one?”

“found it referenced while i was reading about electro-magical field generation,” Sans answered, shrugging.

“Why were you—never mind, heh. Hold on a sec, I’ll get it… and…h-hey, you know, if there’s anything else you think you’d need, let me know. I can probably get it for you, after all—this job comes with a few perks. I-I wish I knew why you want to read all this stuff, b-but, you’ve helped me out so much it’s the least I could do,” she offered, and he seemed to brighten—though she never had been good at reading his expressions.

“thanks alph, that would be amazing. and didn’t i tell you once? everyone needs a hobby.”

Alphys shook her head and headed up to her bookshelves. She pulled out the dissertation, as well as a couple other books she thought might help. She didn’t plan on using them herself anytime soon; now that she wasn’t working on digitizing hypercubes, studying the details of quantum mechanics wasn’t exactly at the top of her priorities. When she came back down, she found Sans had wandered over to her computer desk and had some papers in his hands.

 _Those_ papers.

He stood stiffly as she approached with the books in hand, and her pace slowed to a crawl when he didn’t move to acknowledge her at all. He was an easygoing sort who always stood loosely, without a hint of tension in his stance—so seeing him like this was odd. Alphys often cursed her anxieties that made her pay so much attention to how other people acted and reacted, but now they told her something was especially wrong. Hugging the books closer to her, she waited until her patience was rewarded.

“… you working on some calligraphy?” Sans asked. Not exactly what she’d expected to hear.

“Uh… no?” Alphys squeaked, trying to keep her nerves in check and her breathing normal. What the heck was she afraid of, this was just Sans? “I, uh, found those. In my basement. C… Can you read them?”

Sans was quiet for a while before answering. “why? you need ‘em for something?”

“I… I might. S-Sans, it might be, uh… c-classified, especially if it’s in code like that a-and I can’t… I can’t have you just… knowing? Stuff? Uhh…” Alphys trailed. God, she was so bad at this!

“yeah, some nerd probably thought they were being clever, writing it like this,” Sans said easily. He didn’t seem to be fazed by the potential nature of the documents in his hands as he waved them around lightly. “they’re totally classified.”

Alphys gave a strangled squawk.

“your secret’s safe with me, don’t worry,” Sans said with a wink. He often told his jokes with a wink, but somehow this one seemed genuine. “dunno if you want to know what this says though. doesn’t seem like something you’d want to work with.”

“I…” Alphys trailed, trying to think how she could phrase this. “T-there… are things Asgore asked me to do. They’re… kind of beyond my expertise, but I have to try, right? He’s the king… he has… I have… There’s so many people counting on us. I don’t want to let anyone down.”

A connection sparked in her brain.

“Sans… I… there’s a machine, down in my basement. I don’t really know what it does, but—but it looks like a skull. Not—not like your kind of skull, here,” she paused, getting up to grab the notebook and flipping to the diagram of the Extractor before handing it to her friend. “I don’t know of any other skeleton monsters who are scientists… actually I don’t know of too many skeleton monsters in general. Only you and your brother, actually? U-um… but—but do you know about anyone who might have worked here before? Who might have built this?”

Sans’ eyes flicked over the diagram, but then he shrugged. “nope.”

Alphys' face fell. “Really?”

“i could speculate, but i’d be getting a-head of myself.”

“Pff, Sans! Please this is serious.”

Sans handed the notebook back over. “so am i.”

“If there’s a serious bone in your body we’ll need to get the microscope to find it,” Alphys snarked, and Sans chuckled.

“got me there. still… if that’s what you’re dealing with, seems to me you’ve got a lot on your plate. if there’s some way i can help you out sometime… let me know. i know what working alone on something hard is like.”

Alphys felt warmth fill her soul. “T-Thank you… Sans, that means a lot. I’ll definitely need it… and I hate to take you up on it so soon but—uh, those symbols…”

“yeah, yeah, alright. gimme a couple days,” Sans replied, a little reluctant. He folded the papers carefully and tucked them in his coat pocket, and Alphys handed over the physics books. They exchanged goodbyes, and Sans headed out to leave Alphys alone with her thoughts once again. She knew as well as anyone that quantum physics was about the most difficult field of science there was, especially with such limited access to the universe at large. So much had to be left as speculation and mathematical theory, and the rare human book on science that made its way to the dump even partially intact could only tell them so much. It was definitely an odd subject for Sans to have as just a hobby, and he was so talented she was certain he could have a high-ranking job at the New Home labs if he only tried. But he’d admitted a certain lack of ambition, laziness even—and Alphys was grateful if a little surprised he’d offered to help. No doubt she would need it.

She couldn’t say exactly when, but it was a few days later when the translated pages appeared on her desk, written in Sans’ distinctive hand on a few sheets of lined paper. She would have liked to keep the originals to compare, but they were nowhere to be found. It was something she should probably follow up on—she couldn’t have sensitive information floating around like that. But part of her never wanted to see those bizarre symbols again.

\--

Sans had never expected to see them at all.

He sat on his bed, staring at the pages in his hands. So, there were still pieces out there after all. Shrapnel from another reality, another time, drifting within the next one that had filled in around it like water until there were hardly any signs the disaster had happened to begin with. His own mind had tried to bury those memories as if all of what had happened was a bad dream best forgotten, but he couldn’t let that happen. As much as the memories hurt, he couldn’t let them go, because letting go meant losing too much.

He was certain Papyrus had forgotten everything. His brother was always yammering about how he’d join the Royal Guard and prove himself these days, finally earning the respect and attention he deserved. He didn’t understand why they’d moved out to Snowdin—in fact, he hadn’t questioned it at all and Sans figured he simply didn’t recall they’d ever had another home. It was probably for the best he didn’t remember where he’d come from, or that either one of them could have been lost too. Papyrus always took everything so hard, and this… Sans didn’t want to think about how Papyrus would react to this. It was better he focused on the here and now, living in the moment in a way Sans wished he could, and he was going to keep it that way until everything was ready.

He sighed, glancing over at the books Alphys had lent him before sliding from his bed. Nothing was going to be fixed by just sitting here, and the pages in his hands and the kindness of friends gave him hope. If he kept trying, he could pull the broken pieces together, and stop the accident—and maybe a few other things—from ever happening. Sure, he felt a little bad it would mean Alphys wouldn’t get her prestigious new job… but he could tell it had already overwhelmed her. She would be happier going back too.

Sans worked harder than most people realized, but he wasn’t against taking it easy when he could. This included shortcuts. Not in his work, of course—he knew better than that—but in getting around. He didn’t see much point in avoiding what was maybe the best thing to come out of the disaster just because of its origins, and it made things so much easier. Studying how to use it had given him incredibly useful information about the world, and he hoped it would help his ultimate goal to fix everything. But for now, he used it to move from his room to the workshop downstairs without taking a single step.

The small room was exactly as he’d left it, which was to be expected when he was the only one who knew about it. It was quiet, but Sans liked it that way more often than not; if he wanted company, noise, or both, he’d go hang out with his brother. Here, he could focus on the complex calculations and delicate engineering his task required without interruption. He stowed the pages Alphys had found in a drawer with other collected documents only to pause, his gaze lingering on a faded, crudely-drawn picture. Another reminder of what had been lost, all because of their father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter featuring a short skeleton! Don't worry, there's plenty more ahead. Seriously, the chapters get a lot longer as the story goes on.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, and as always, comments are welcome!


	3. Memory Lane

No one would dispute Doctor W. D. Gaster was the most brilliant scientist the Underground had ever produced. Able to perceive and connect ideas in ways most failed to follow, a master of retro-engineering human technology and then vastly improving it, the developer of the Core that provided light and warmth to everyone in the kingdom—it was no wonder he was something of a celebrity. A warm, engaging personality certainly helped, even if he cut an imposing figure and was quite eccentric in many ways—but what monster wasn’t? It didn’t matter that he wrote in illegible symbols, or conjured any number of phantom hands to assist with his sign language, or often spent long, sleepless hours working on some new theory or invention—he was more than happy to explain anything, to educate and encourage the next generation of scientists. Because of his efforts, many monsters hoped that where magic had failed, science would break through.

Those who knew the doctor more personally saw him as a great mentor and friend. There was even something of a fan club for him, though it was more of a good-natured joke than anything and the lead scientist didn’t mind at all. He was given to telling ridiculous science puns himself, and even those that groaned at every one admitted it kept morale at the lab up. He checked in on everyone’s research no matter if it was his given field of study or not, or if it was a weapon to aid in the eventual war against humans or a simple gadget to make trimming broken claws or horns easier. He knew anything could give hope to those who needed it, and saw to it that his team never lost theirs, aided by a boundless curiosity. Loved by all and loving in turn, it was no surprise to many when he decided to have a family. No doubt the child would be well cared for and just as sharp as their parent.

For the most part, this was true. Gaster was devoted to both his new family and science, but he could only do one at a time and unfortunately for little Sans science won out more often than not. Being a single parent wasn’t uncommon among monster kind—anyone with the will and magic could have a child on their own—but few were as busy as Gaster. But few enjoyed the resources he did either—there were probably bigger problems in the kingdom if the royal scientist couldn’t afford childcare for his son. Most days the tiny skeleton child was left with a kindly old bear as his babysitter; after an incident at the local daycare Gaster had swept him home and kept him there. Sans didn’t remember the details of the incident, but the way Gaster had looked absolutely gutted and held him so tightly remained after all this time. The old bear had raised a happy, prospering family of their own, and was delighted to take care of Sans in exactly the ways his father instructed—lots of stories, peaceful walks outside, constructive play, but absolutely no magic practice and only the gentlest of roughhousing (which the bear pointed out was an oxymoron, and the doctor had laughed). Sans liked his babysitter well enough, but the best days were when his dad would take him to visit his job.

“This section was just repaired this week, and we’re getting ready to put it back online,” Gaster explained in his strange warbling voice, gesturing to the blue alloy walls. “After it passes its recalibration tests, it will join its siblings in helping to regulate the Core’s output. We don’t want it to be too high, or it could explode!”

A flurry of conjured hands burst around Sans like fireworks and faded just as quickly, making the child laugh. He was riding on his father’s shoulders, enjoying the sensation of being tall as they patrolled the corridors of Gaster’s greatest work and waving down at the workers and scientists as they passed by. Sans was too young to understand much of what his dad told him, but simply being together meant more anyway.

“Oh my, is that Sans way up there?” a catlike monster called teasingly from down the passage, and Gaster chuckled as they approached one another.

“Yes, I’ll make a scientist of him yet. He seems much more interested in holding onto my eye sockets at the moment,” the doctor replied lightly, taking the chance to delicately pry tiny fingers from his orbits. “I assume everything is running smoothly?”

“Yes sir. We’re right on schedule and all the readings check out perfectly—just as you predicted actually,” the cat replied with a nod, and Gaster smiled.

“Excellent. We’ll begin reintegration shortly then. Wave goodbye, Sans.”

They parted ways, and Gaster continued babbling to his son as they toured the facility. But it was a long day for any child, and though Sans hardly threw tantrums he knew how to make it clear when he’d had enough: he’d simply stop, refusing to move or interact no matter how much encouragement he received. He reached this point sometime late afternoon, slumping against his father’s skull limply and making the poor scientist hurry to brace him.

“Ah, we seem to have had enough, hm?” Gaster observed gravely. “Well, it’s not like I don’t have some paperwork to catch up on. Naptime then, sleepy bones.”

The two trudged back to Gaster’s office and ended their day quietly; the only sounds in the room were the scratching of pens as the doctor wrote, and the short, soft breaths of his son as he lay nestled in the folds of his long black cloak. They both wanted more days like this one, but all too often Gaster was doing work too dangerous for a small, frail child to be around. Sans only knew his father was very, very busy, and as time went on, the visit days happened less and less.

Those early days were a distant blur, but he still remembered the overarching loneliness that maybe he’d never really shaken. It got a little better when he started school and had the chance to make friends—he loved making people laugh with jokes of all sorts, and was the first to try cheering someone up when they were sad. He was reasonably popular with his peers, and his teachers praised him for his quick wit even if he usually used it to make some awful pun. But he wasn’t allowed to play or express himself like the other children did through their magic, and it was frustrating at best. Sans tended to keep complaints to himself, but one day, he’d finally had enough and saw fit to bring it up to his dad on one of the rare nights the scientist was home early.

“Hm. That is a conundrum indeed,” Gaster pronounced when he’d heard his son’s grievances. “Learning to wield one’s magic is a vital part of any monster’s development, though most never give it much thought. And… indeed, most monsters have already had some experience by your age.”

“it’s your fault,” Sans replied shortly, folding his arms. “you’re the one who won’t let me.”

Gaster blinked, not used to getting such an attitude from an otherwise quiet and agreeable child. He sighed, and rubbed his brows with long fingers before answering. “You tire easily. You’re growing at a relatively slow pace even for skeleton monsters. You’ve caught most of the few viral illnesses there are. Your statistical readouts are far below average. And… you have a certain disregard for the rules of games, which might be dangerous in certain contexts.”

Sans looked away, but his father was smirking playfully.

“It’s horribly cliché, but I only forbade you from fighting to protect you. Your physical limitations mean friendly combat amongst your peers is generally out of the question.”

“yeah…” Sans sighed. He knew he wasn’t strong like the other kids—not just in magic, but in the other ways his dad had listed too in that distant, scientific way of his. He was one of the shortest in his class, and was given to falling asleep in his chair near the end of particularly busy days. The way Gaster hovered over him any time he was sick was almost comical. “so? am i just gonna miss out? it looks like fun… and i don’t wanna be the one kid who can’t use their magic.”

“It would be a shame, wouldn’t it?” Gaster replied gravely. “That’s why… we’re going to do things a little differently.”

Sans perked up. Gaster was wearing a smile—the kind he only wore when he had a brilliant idea.

“You can’t afford to get hurt. But… you can’t get hurt if you don’t get hit, right?”

“um… well, yeah…?”

“I’m not about to allow you to join your friends during magic classes… but should you ever find yourself in a fight, you need to have some way of dealing with your opponent’s blows,” Gaster began. “Traditionally, you allow yourself to be hit until you can’t take any more, at which point your opponent spares you and is declared the winner. But this will not work for you at all! You need to ensure it is your opponent that will give in, no matter what. Do you follow?”

“are you saying… i’m gonna break the rules?” Sans answered, a bit of mischief sparking in his eyes.

“No! How could you accuse me of such a thing?” Gaster replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and the two chuckled together before he continued. “Rules are made to protect things, usually. Sometimes they’re silly, like the old rule that said all human technology was considered property of the king. Poor old Asgore soon had so many broken toasters he hardly knew what to do with himself! Rules like the one about letting yourself get hit is more about being polite and fair, just how taking turns is—but in your case, you’re already at a disadvantage. We need to re-level the playing field, and to do that, you need to learn how to dodge an attack entirely.”

“whoa. you can do that?”

“Yes. Most of the time it won’t be hard since no one will expect it. But you need to be ready for anything, and that’s going to mean hard work,” Gaster said, giving his son a knowing look, and the child groaned. “But I know you can do it, and it’s going to be a lot more fun than sitting on the sidelines, don’t you think?”

“well… yeah,” Sans admitted with a soft laugh. All things considered, he was excited. He’d tried summoning his magic on his own a few times, after listening to the teacher describe how it was done and watching his classmate’s efforts. A few thin, brittle and misshapen bones were all he’d managed, but he knew he could do better if only his dad would let him practice. And now, he finally was.

“Thought so,” Gaster beamed. “We’ll practice when I’m home and you’re still awake, like tonight, alright? I’ll try to arrange my schedule so it happens more often, though I’m afraid I can’t make any promises. I’m quite busy these days.”

“it’s ok. someone’s gotta eat those clocks.”

Gaster raised an expectant brow.

“it’s just time-consuming.”

Gaster snorted, and pulled his son into a hug. “Well, we’ve switched to throwing the clocks. I don’t know how it happens but the time really flies!”

They both burst into laughter, and the rest of the night was punctuated regularly as they thought of more jokes to tell each other while Gaster made dinner. And it was true—after their little talk that night, Gaster made more of an effort to be home so they could practice magic together. Another brilliant idea had Sans start learning to dodge with balled-up rags before he graduated to only the slowest of his dad’s conjured attacks, but the youngster proved to have even better reflexes than he could have hoped. Sans was nothing if not observant, and it wasn’t long before he was predicting exactly what attack his father was going to use based on his hand movements alone. Gaster took to clasping his hands behind his back to keep from giving things away.

But soon Gaster was drawn away by his work yet again, and though he allowed Sans to practice casting on his own time, he was still forbidden from actually getting into mock-battles. He was relatively content though, no longer feeling like he was the only kid who couldn’t use magic and taking notes on his classmates’ battles even as he sat out. And there was hilarious satisfaction in dodging whenever someone pulled a ‘think fast’ on him with magic or otherwise, assuming the easy pace he normally moved at was his only speed setting.

In the years that followed, things settled into a routine. Gaster got Sans up and saw him to school on his way to the lab, then when classes ended for the day Sans would head home by himself. The neighbor—a friendly slime happy to do the Royal Scientist a favor—would let him in and make sure he at least started on any homework he might have. Afterward he might find a book to curl up with or take a nap, or invent puzzles and games to play by himself. Gaster would come home much later, often looking quite tired but happy to see his son after a long day wrangling data and his fellow scientists. He’d whip up something quick for dinner, sometimes no more complex than heating up some soup, and the two would wind down by telling each other about their days. It was comfortable and quiet, and Sans didn’t mind how it had all shaken out.

It was no surprise when Gaster came home looking even more tired than usual one evening. He was a bit of a workaholic and often got so wrapped up in his work he forgot to come home some nights, only to return and collapse gratefully into the nearest available seat. Sans glanced up from where he lay on the floor, working his way through a coloring book he’d discovered buried under his bed, and found himself swept up into the scientist’s long arms in a hug. He wasn’t about to complain, but it was so unexpected he was worried something had gone wrong.

“are you okay dad? you look, uh, worn down to the _bone_.”

Gaster threw his head back as he laughed, and carried him to the large cushioned chair that was a favored reading spot by them both. “Yes, everything is alright. I’ve had a lot to think about, and it’s time you had it to think about too.”

“what?” Sans asked, unable to fathom what his dad might be talking about.

“Yes. What if… our family was just a little bigger?”

Sans stared up at him with sockets wide, speechless.

“I know you’re used to just us two skeletons rattling around in here, and babybones can be quite the handful… but perhaps a sibling…” Gaster continued a bit more nervously, his hands fidgeting.

“i’d love it,” Sans answered in an awed whisper, and his father laughed in relief.

And so, not a few weeks later, little Papyrus joined the household. Small but already so full of life and laughter, Sans couldn’t help but love him instantly. Caring for his little brother while Gaster toiled away on his projects was hard when he was still a child himself, but the bond the youngsters forged as a result was worth it. Papyrus had a brother that would dote on and indulge him to no end, and Sans had a brother that would rise to the challenge when his dangerously low health failed him and he fell ill. They both had a father who regretted he had to be away so much, and made every effort to be there for them when he was home. He did his best to teach them science, reading from books on magical theory and giving little demonstrations with his own, and took them out to see what lay beyond New Home on what he liked to call ‘field trips’.

The shallow water had sloshed under Gaster’s feet as he waded through the marshes of Waterfall, a child balanced in the crook of each arm. Sans was a little disappointed they’d passed the piles of garbage by; he loved adventuring through the heaps of foreign objects and finding small trinkets to take home. But Gaster’d said they had a special destination today, and so though he’d cast a curious eye over the junk as they passed by just in case, he wasn’t too put out. Their dad was smart and if he said something was interesting or special, he meant it.

He glanced to his brother, who was left in wide-eyed awe as they traversed the gloomy caverns. Papyrus had never been further from New Home than the labs with his family, and every corner and cranny held new wonders for him. Sans grinned at his brother’s amazement renew with every room, but then there were the bridges. Strung high over nothing but darkness, they trembled under Gaster’s every step—and skeletons were not heavy monsters. The brothers clung to their father’s cloak as well as each other, and Papyrus gave a small whimper

“Hang on, we haven’t got much farther,” Gaster soothed, holding his children that bit tighter. “Much like the Core, these bridges are constantly maintained. We will not fall.”

The reassurances helped a bit, but not as much as finally reaching solid ground again. The passages here were narrow and constantly dripped with water seeping through the rock above; some monsters called it rain, the original phenomenon unknown by most. Sans reached out a hand, and as if to oblige him a large cold drop landed squarely in his carpals. They stopped before a worn statue, and he noticed the solemn look that crossed his father’s face before he turned to press on through the shadows. Finally, the cavern opened up, and Gaster folded his long legs under him.

The walls vaulted upwards into the dark until they were lost. A billion tiny dots winked overhead, their pale light casting the world in soft blues, and Sans stared. What were they? Could he touch one? This room was so big—was that what it was like above ground? He looked to his dad for answers, and found him wearing the same expression he’d had by the statue. It wasn’t quite sad, but Sans didn’t think he knew a better word for it.

“Those lights are stars,” Gaster began softly. “But not the real ones. How would you two like to hear a story?”

Stories were a rare treat, and both the boys nodded eagerly.

Their father smiled warmly. “Ah, as I expected. The stars we have now are very different from the ones monsters used to wish upon long ago, on the surface. These are bits of crystal alight with magic—everyone’s hopes and dreams are shining on in them, and will as long as there are monsters here to wish on them. But the real stars…”

Gaster trailed, shaking his head in wonder.

“The real stars are far stranger and more wonderful. They are balls of burning gas so far away it takes their light years to reach us, and yet without their life and death, nothing could exist. It is in their hearts that all the elements that build the world are forged—hydrogen, oxygen, iron, carbon, even the calcium in our bones. When they have finished burning, they explode, or collapse, and—just like we monsters—their dust scatters. It collects to form planets like ours, and unlike ours, and makes up everything we see that isn’t magic.”

“whoa…” Sans uttered, looking at his surroundings with new appreciation. “stars are really cool.”

“Yes they are,” Gaster agreed. “And what about you, Papyrus? What do you think? Do you like the stars?”

“Uh-huh!” the little skeleton loudly confirmed, reaching out as if to catch one of the little lights in his hands. He frowned when his grasp came up empty, and looked up to his dad. “It’s too far?”

“Yes, much too far. But even they can be reached with enough patience and… determination, and that is why I work so hard—to bring the real stars closer to us. I come here to remember what I’ve worked so hard for, and what I will keep working hard for, for the good of everyone,” Gaster explained, his expression hardening. “We must never forget the humans took our connection to the universe away, or we will never get it back.”

The boys nodded, and Sans turned his gaze upwards again.

“we’re gonna see ‘em someday. i know it.”

Gaster laughed at his son’s unbridled confidence, and hugged both his children close. The small family sat for a while longer under the glimmering expanse; Gaster pointed out constellations, their myths softly told in his warbling voice and flashing hands until first Sans, then Papyrus were lulled to sleep. Sans couldn’t remember it exactly anymore, but he knew he’d dreamt of the stars while Gaster carried them home.

The spot became a favorite request for every excursion afterward, and Gaster never minded even if he’d had other plans. It was rare he had a day off, much less took it, but the time spent with his children and reminding himself what he worked for was worth any progress he might’ve made elsewhere. There was so much his work kept him from, and Sans often wondered just what it was he did that meant he was away most of the time.

He’d long since missed the little things like Papyrus’ first words, or the day Sans came back from school with a perfect score on his first test, or when the brothers managed to prank the next-door neighbor in such a way it had them all in stiches for days. There was no going back to see it firsthand. He could only listen to his sons relate the interesting new stuff they were learning in school, how Papyrus’ magic was already really strong even though he was the youngest in the class, that the kind old lady down the street had stopped by and shared her freshly baked cookies.

He was absent when the brothers’ playful sparring went awry one day.

“aw c’mon, i know you can go faster than that!” Sans taunted as he easily sidestepped his brother’s attack. Papyrus grunted, and scrunched up his face as he focused on building his next move; conjuring the bones was one thing, but making them move in cool patterns was another. The attack started out strong, a series of undulating bones scooting across the ground, but long before they reached Sans they had sunk too far and disappeared into the earth. Papyrus stomped his little foot as hard as he could and winced, settling on folding his arms instead.

“I don’t get it! What am I doing wrong?!” he cried, and Sans held up his hands disarmingly.

“hey, it’s ok. you’re already doing way better than me when i was your age. just take a moment and calm down, it doesn’t work if you’re too rattled,” he coached, earning a giggle from his younger brother. The two paused for a bit to steady their breathing, then Sans spoke. “ok. let’s try again, huh? Throw me a bone.”

Papyrus chuckled, and assumed a ready pose once more. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a line of bones almost as tall as he was, an improvement on his last attack already. Their speed was good too, and Sans made a show of dodging them as if they’d nearly hit.

“almost got me that time!” he called playfully, rocking on his heels. “ok, my turn. let’s see if you can take what you dish out.”

Where Sans had to dodge, Papyrus had nothing to worry about. On the standardized scale of monster strength, Sans had only ever scored a one in all measured traits. Any boasting he did was completely ironic— there were Whimsum stronger than he was. Even so, he did his best to give his brother a challenge, and it kept him sharp when he’d been forbidden from practice at school. Papyrus braced himself, and once he looked ready Sans let loose with sets of bones that came in from both sides, forcing him to jump and duck. He missed one though and tripped, and Sans immediately cut off his turn.

“you ok bro?” Sans called, and Papyrus nodded, massaging a scuff on his shin as he stood.

“Just a scratch! That was a pretty cool attack though, but not as cool as my next one!” Papyrus replied confidently. “Watch!”

Bones zigzagged up from the ground and in the air, creating a narrow corridor where Sans could slip through if he timed it right. Timing things was his specialty though, and he easily ducked out of the way only to have to freeze as luminous blue bones swept by. They’d nearly caught him off guard. “wow pap, that was a good one.”

“I told you!” Papyrus replied, beaming proudly.

“betcha you can’t do a better one,” Sans taunted. “not better than this, anyway. think fast!”

Sans had no trouble getting his attacks to speed along, and the addition of alternating blue lent another level of difficulty. Papyrus managed to evade most of it, a few of the blue ones catching him but doing so little damage it hardly mattered. It was still good exercise, and by the time the round ended, Papyrus was breathing hard.

“ready to call it quits?” Sans asked, but his brother shook his head.

“No way! I’m gonna have the coolest attack! The best one ever!” he declared, clenching his fists. Squeezing his eyes shut, he reached for the core of his magic and thought hard, trying to picture what the coolest attack possible might be. Something strong and really impressive he could show off later at school, but still avoidable so it was fair. His magic responded with something half-formed that he’d never found before, and eager to see what it did he pulled on it.

Papyrus felt something crackle into existence just above his head, and opened his eyes just in time to see Sans staring with sockets wide, his pupils reduced to tiny pinpricks of light. And then there was too much light and too much sound, his magic draining faster than he could cut it off himself. The attack faded at last, and the youngster blinked spots out of his eyes only to see his brother on the ground, hunched over and clutching at his forearm. What had he done?

He only managed a few shaky steps before he fell to the ground himself, wiped out from whatever he’d just conjured. He couldn’t see for the tears filling his vision, but he knew, he just knew--!

A hand grasped his shoulder weakly, and a soft voice fought its way through the dark thoughts swirling in the little skeleton’s skull.

“paps, it’s ok, i’m ok. it’s not your fault, i just wasn’t fast enough. papyrus—c’mon, it’s nothin. it’s ok…”

The brothers sat for a while; Papyrus still too shaken to speak, Sans too injured to stand, they hung on to one another as if the other might disappear at any moment. They’d chosen a vacant area on the edge of town to practice at—no one would hear them if they called for help. Papyrus could feel his brother’s grip fading, and knew he had to do something. He’d never tried using healing magic before, and as exhausted as he was he wasn’t even sure if he could, but he didn’t consider any alternatives. It was all he had to go on. His magic was distant and unwilling, but he refused to give up and reached for whatever reserves he had left. After what felt like ages, he pried a thin thread of magic away and let it radiate out. It only had to be enough for Sans!

Sans exhaled as relief dulled the ache in his bones, and pulled his brother in for a proper hug. “you did great bro. thank you.”

“I’m so sorry,” Papyrus finally croaked. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“i know. you never do.”

“But I did, and you n-nearly—” the younger skeleton sobbed, and Sans squeezed him as tight as he could.

“look paps, accidents happen. all things considered, that attack was pretty cool. you’re gonna be a great fighter one day.”

“But… I don’t want to. I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again,” Papyrus replied, squeezing his eyes shut with a heartbroken finality.

Sans sighed, and slowly got to his feet. He helped his brother up, and they leaned into one another as they shuffled home. His arm still stung, the surface of the bone black and flaky, but Papyrus’ efforts had stopped the damage from spreading. Only his reflexes had saved him from the fate the cavern wall behind them had suffered; he hoped there wouldn’t be any questions about the ashen hole that had been bored into the rock.

After the incident, Papyrus refused to use magic, afraid of his own power. Gaster didn’t fully comprehend what had happened; he’d come home to two oddly subdued children, and the boys were too upset or ashamed—he never found out which—to explain in much detail. But the crude dressing around Sans’ arm said enough. He’d leave it to them if they ever told the full story, when time had dulled fears that were still fresh, and until then he’d make sure they were cared for and knew that no matter what happened they would be forgiven. Certainly Sans had already forgiven his brother, but it was less certain if Papyrus would ever forgive himself. He stubbornly buried himself in his schoolwork and puzzles, and refused to participate when the teacher called on him for demonstrations. Almost a month of coaxing from Sans passed before he felt like practicing his magic again, and from then on he always held himself back.

The end result was that Papyrus had some of the finest control over his magic out of anyone they knew; to Sans’ relief, it became a source of pride for his brother as time went on. One day he might even have the confidence to use that special attack again, but until then he was content with crafting elaborate patterns out of bones alone. And they had both mastered their gravity-altering blue magic without accident.

It was several years later when Sans proudly earned a degree in theoretical physics, his family cheering louder than anyone in the audience as he accepted his certificate. A job in the labs was the next step, and suddenly he was spending more time with his father, and much less with his brother, and was reminded of the days when it was just him waiting for someone to come home. Papyrus never complained, but it was obvious he was glad Sans didn’t have the same tireless work ethic Gaster did. Sans wasn’t about to pretend he didn’t miss his brother either, and there were some days where he needed to clear all the calculations and theories out of his skull. This seemed to happen enough he earned a reputation for being something of a slacker, but it wasn’t like his work was about to have any tangible results.

Except that it might.

“Sans,” Gaster had started one evening, his voice hushed even though they were the only ones in the room.

“yeah dad?” Sans questioned, looking up from a stack of instrument readouts.

“I was wondering if you might like to help me on something. As it happens, it is an extension of your current area of interest,” the doctor continued, clasping his hands together.

Sans had been looking into time travel. It was something that had always captured his imagination reading books as a kid, and now he had a chance to actually make it happen if he just had the right magic. Apparently Gaster had been taken with the idea too.

“sure. whatcha got so far?”

Gaster had smiled, and withdrawn a folio from an inner pocket of his cloak. Setting it in his son’s hands, he waited for him to read through the hypothesis and preliminary data he’d collected so far. It wasn’t much, but if they could go back at all, maybe they could go back to before the war even started.

If only it had been so simple.

\--

Sans awoke with a start, disoriented, but that’s what he got for staying so long in a place outside of time. He hadn’t even noticed he’d drifted off in the midst of reviewing blueprints and reminiscing, and hoped Papyrus wasn’t too worried about him. Stifling a yawn, he pushed the papers and pencils into some semblance of order before stretching and popping back to his room. He could hear Papyrus banging around in the kitchen and decided he’d better check up on him before he set anything on fire. Young as he was, Papyrus had taken to try cooking things himself, and though Sans knew he’d get it eventually he was more liable to hurt himself than make an edible meal.

“Sans! There you are!” Papyrus announced, looking happy to see him. “It was getting late so I took it upon myself to provide a nutritious meal for us both.”        

“thanks bro,” Sans said, eyeing the pot on the stove. “i think you’re supposed to put in the water before the pasta though.”

As if on cue, the thin spaghetti noodles blackened and burst into flame. Papyrus scrambled to turn the stove down, and his brother ducked under him to slap a lid on the pot, smothering the flames before they could get too much higher. Papyrus breathed a sigh of relief before slumping dejectedly against the counter, trying to ignore the burnt smell permeating the room that reminded him of his failure. Sans leaned beside him and patted his arm.

“don’t worry, you’ll get it one day pap. why don’t we head to grillby’s for somethin’ hot?”

“Sans, you know I don’t like how greasy the food is there,” Papyrus griped, folding his arms. “It sticks to you in the most inconvenient ways, right in the joints. Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me feel all gross.”

“hey, maybe it was just that one time. I’m sure they’ve got somethin’ not-greasy you could have instead,” Sans suggested with a shrug. “and you could always use a fork.”

“Ugh… I guess… though it’s practically blasphemy to eat with silverware at a burger place,” Papyrus conceded, and his brother chuckled.

“wow, didn’t know you cared about sandwich etiquette so much.”

“I have standards, Sans!”

“do they include eating burnt pasta?”

Papyrus sighed. “… No. That is… far below the standards of The Great Papyrus…”

The matter settled, the two headed out. A steady stream of snowflakes drifted down from the misty cavern ceiling, heavier today than it had been in weeks. Papyrus led the way through the snow-filled street, carving a path for his considerably shorter brother; though Papyrus nearly always took the lead anyway, today it was a necessity with snowdrifts that reached past his kneecaps—which meant they went up to Sans’ thighs. Neither of them were in danger from the cold, but Sans would’ve worn himself out trying to make his way through or gotten stuck. Sometimes there was a good reason he used shortcuts to get everywhere.

The warm light from Grillby’s was inviting in the icy gloom, and even Papyrus seemed grateful when they finally stepped inside. A couple of the regular patrons greeted Sans when they noticed him, and he waved to them before directing Papyrus to his favorite spot right at the bar. Grillby raised a flickering eyebrow at Papyrus’ presence, but nodded graciously. Sans grabbed a menu, and they peered over it together; Sans made suggestions, and Papyrus shot them down more often than not. Eventually he settled on a grilled chicken sandwich while Sans ordered what was quickly becoming his standard—a simple burger.

It was times like these that made it easy to forget anything had ever been different. If Sans was honest, as long as Papyrus was happy, so was he, and that’s what mattered most to him. Sitting here and sharing a meal was the perfect end to a day that had stirred up so much of the past. For as much as he had objected, Papyrus seemed to be enjoying his sandwich after all, though he reminded Sans that one day all food in the Underground would pale in comparison to his masterfully crafted cooking. Sans hoped one day his brother would get to cook for all of his family.

He didn’t want to go back to before the war anymore. He just wanted to go back to a time when home wasn’t a faded memory. Back when it was three together and happy instead of just two. Back before… well. He wasn’t going to think about that and let it ruin his meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaster appears at last! I love writing babybones, this was a fun chapter. Thanks for reading!


	4. A Heavy Heart

Alphys rubbed at bleary eyes; she’d spent the entire day plowing through the notebook King Asgore had given her over a month ago. As she’d suspected, it was an incomplete work, and some of the content wasn’t even related, going off on tangents about time travel. No doubt the king wanted her to work on the parts that discussed Determination, which were more complete and made up the bulk of the content. There was still so much to do before she could begin—even with the Extractor intact, there was the matter of learning to use it, and what to use it on, and how to test whatever Determination actually did. Her predecessor had proposed it was what gave human souls their endurance, but there was no data to confirm or disprove this claim. Collecting some would be up to her—she just had to develop a procedure.

That could be done over some instant noodles. As the water boiled, she opened the word processor on her computer, picked a format, and put down a few preliminary ideas. What actually was Determination? Monsters could certainly be determined—she was confident they wouldn’t have persisted so long in a subterranean prison if they weren’t. But the way it was discussed in the notes, it seemed to be something tangible, a material capable of being isolated and studied like any other. So phase one would be studying this substance on its own and observing its properties. That, at least, was a start, and she felt better about leaving the computer to finish fixing her meal.

Sitting back down, Alphys slurped on her noodles and pondered the screen. Not sure what phase two would be yet, she considered the materials she’d need for phase one. Obviously, the Determination Extractor needed to be studied before she could use it but there was no doubt it went on the list. She’d need something to extract determination from, of course, but the only human essence down here were the souls Asgore had collected. Would he let her use them…? The notebook implied he’d let someone work with them before, so the answer was a tentative ‘yes’. She added them to the list. She’d need something to put the extracted Determination in, of course; hopefully simple test tubes would work for that. Some equipment like spectrometers might be good, maybe a laser to measure… something, probably. There were so many unknowns here, it would take everything she had.

At least the Determination Extractor was a machine—if large and unnecessarily ominous—and that was something she could work with. From what she’d gathered, the skull-shaped outer shell was just the scaffolding to hold the actual apparatus in place and help it withstand use. Why exactly it needed to be so reinforced was still a mystery, but she supposed she’d find out one way or another. As soon as she’d laid out a basic hypothesis, her plan was to return to the basement and begin examining what was probably the most vital component of her task.

That moment came sooner than she would’ve liked, but there was no avoiding it. She stared at the completed page, trying to think if there was anything else to add and aware she was stalling. If she had someone to go with her it would be better, but no one was supposed to know about any of this. Well… she knew of one person who seemed to know more than he let on. She’d already taken advantage of his kindness though, and asking again… she didn’t want to impose if he might be busy. No, she could do this. But at the same time… no, she needed backup, or she’d never get this done.

“H-hey! Um, I know this is sh-short notice, but… I could use some help,” Alphys squeaked into her phone, wrestling with her nerves to sound normal. “U-uh, science help.”

“… sure, alph. i’m not doin’ anything,” Sans replied, sounding weary. “a change of pace might be nice.”

“O-oh, well I c-can’t say it’ll be anything easy, but…”

“anything’s gonna be easier than quantum physics, bucko,” Sans said, the humor back in his voice. “i’ll be over in a minute.”

“Uh, well there’s no rush, b-but okay! See you soon!” Alphys replied, and the phone beeped as she hung up. For a moment she cast about before grabbing the relevant materials and organizing them, and not a moment too soon—there was a knock on the door. Sans must’ve been really bored if he’d come so quickly—no, organizing had just taken longer than she’d thought. She hurried to welcome him in, and as they walked inside her shuffling pace matched his casual saunter as they talked.

“so what’s up?” Sans asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“U-uh, well… you remember the machine I showed you pictures of… I need it for my research, b-but I don’t know how it works. I-I know electronics aren’t your thing b-but I was thinking a second set of eyes might be good… plus it’s kind of a giant skull and I don’t know if I could fix it if I broke something since I don’t have bone magic,” Alphys rambled, absently twiddling her claws.

“makes sense. something like that’s beyond your skull-set,” Sans cracked, and Alphys covered her face as she laughed. “dunno how much use i’ll be but i can lend a hand. or an eye.”

“Thank you so much. S-somehow I… I feel like you’re the only one I can trust on this stuff.”

The door to the lower labs elevator slid open, and Alphys clutched her materials, the tips of her claws gouging little dents into its leathery cover. The two fell silent as they rode the elevator down, and it opened on the landing that was no brighter nor warmer than the last time Alphys had paid it a visit. She opened her mouth to say something—a warning, perhaps, or an apology—but the words were swept away as Sans stepped out undaunted.

“oh, chisps. nice,” he uttered as they passed the vending machine. “might need those if we’re down here for a while.”

“Y-yeah,” Alphys chuckled nervously. She followed along down the hall, only to realize she should have been leading when they reached the extraction room. Sans certainly had a good sense of direction. “Th… There it is. The Extractor. L-let’s see if we can get it to uh… come a little closer.”

They found a screen set into the wall, and after a little fiddling with her magic, Alphys got it to light up. A few lines of code blipped by as the system booted, and soon the main menu had popped up; Alphys couldn’t help but cheer before digging in, navigating the options to find the Extractor’s controls and lower it from its position. She located them under maintenance, and with a tired whirr, the machine dropped from the ceiling and pulled forward until it hung closer to the ground. Lights popped on around the sunken floor, revealing its depth at last—there was a good ten-foot drop to the bottom. Part of the safety railing sank into a slot in the floor, and stairs rose until they could access the machine. Alphys passed a look to Sans, and together they descended the steps to begin their work.

It went better than Alphys had hoped, and some of that was due to whoever had built the device making it as straightforward as such a machine could be. The controls were direct, the wiring, though complex, in good condition despite being in a less than ideal environment for who knew how long. Even the bony material of the shell proved easy to work with, as parts of it could fold away along the sutures to grant better access to the tubing and mechanisms within. Without a single speck of corrosion or damage in sight the machine was ready to use, so Alphys turned her attention to something a little more familiar—the computer terminal. Maybe it held clues to who had built all this? She saw Sans wander off out of the corner of her eye, but she figured he just needed a break; they had been working for a good few hours now and there was only room for one person at the computer.

“hey alph,” his voice suddenly intruded on her thoughts, and she jumped with an embarrassing squeak.

“Oh! Sans, hey. How’s it going?”

“think it’s time i headed out. seems to me you’ve got this part of things covered,” he answered with a shrug. “plus it’s gettin’ kinda late and papyrus’ll wonder where i am.”

“O-oh yeah! Your little brother… how old is he again?” Alphys asked, scatching her head embarrassedly.

“old enough. i’ll see ya around, ok?” Sans replied, turning to head out.

“W-wait! I… I’m almost done here. Now that I know how to work this thing I can come back anytime.”

“what are ya, scared of a little old lab equipment?” Sans teased. “and here i thought you were a noble gas.”

“Ha ha, what?” Alphys questioned.

“you don’t react to anything.”

Alphys snorted with laughter, shaking her head. “No way, I totally react to stuff. Maybe… too much, sometimes.”

“hey, i understand. this place is pretty creepy after a while. it’s really got that mad scientist vibe goin’, huh.”

“Oh thank god,” Alphys breathed, “I’m not the only one who thought that.”

“you’d have to be pretty naïve to think otherwise. or be my brother. ready to go?”

“You have no idea,” Alphys said, nodding.

They packed everything up and headed out, glad to leave the gloomy lab behind in favor of the brightly lit main level. As they passed it by, Alphys noted a package of chips had been taken from the vending machine; she must’ve been too absorbed in her work to notice Sans get it earlier.

“Thanks again,” she said as they stepped out into the main lab. “It really was a big help. I think I can start working on some procedures and methods now. B-but please Sans… I can’t stress this enough. You can’t tell anyone.”

“if i had lips they’d be sealed,” the skeleton assured her, and they both chuckled. He fell quiet after a bit, then closed his eyes. “hey, you be careful, ok? this stuff… well, if it’s secret, it’s secret for a reason right? you’ll note the guy who was apparently working on it… is gone. so. there’s no shame in quitting if you don’t want to keep going, ok?”

Alphys was taken aback by his shift in mood. “What… what makes you say that?”

“i’m just puttin’ the facts together based on the evidence we’ve got. but what do i know? maybe he just retired,” Sans replied with a shrug. “just sayin’. this isn’t gonna be easy work.”

Alphys nodded, giving a soft sigh. “Yeah. Thanks. I’ll… I’ll call you again if I need help. Thanks again.”

Sans shrugged. “hey, anytime. see ya around.”

The door slid down behind him, and Alphys sighed again. They really had gotten a lot done today, but Sans was right. This was only the beginning of a project that might take months, years even, despite having some direction with the leftover notes. But she had too many people counting on her to stop anytime soon, too many people she had a duty to. Shuffling over to her computer, she sat quietly for a moment, then got to work, her claws flying across the keys.

By the time she was done, she had a detailed description of the Extractor and some goals for the first round of tests. She still needed to explore how it operated and what its tolerances were before she could even think about using it, and that would take time. Good thing she had plenty of it.

\--

The work had been slow as Alphys had expected, but she’d made good headway in the months following that initial foray. A series of control tests had let her get comfortable with the machine, and though she never had found any evidence of who had programmed it, she was grateful for their elegant coding and was even building on it for a new supercomputer in her main lab. Things were going smoothly at the Core, whose functions she could now maintain from the comfort of her home, and Mettaton had finally approved a design for phase two of his body. With it all going so well, she felt it was time to present Asgore with an update.

She compiled all her notes on her progress and tucked them into a small satchel, and slung it over her shoulder. Bracing herself, she stepped out into the blistering heat to head for the Core along a well-worn path. Even as a reptilian sort of monster well-suited to Hotland’s climate, Alphys was grateful to reach the worker’s apartments that stood just before the Core’s entry like some kind of sentinel, and hoped she hadn’t sweat through her lab coat too badly. She took a moment to catch her breath in the apartment’s cool lobby before setting out once more; only one quick elevator ride and she’d be in New Home, on a road straight to the castle.

It had been a while since she’d visited New Home, but it looked largely unchanged as she passed the crowded buildings by. A few other people were out and about on the high road; some dogs from the Royal Guard jogged by, yipping happily, while a pair of bird monsters had chosen a spot along the edge to take their lunch. They waved as she padded past, and she returned the gesture timidly but hurried on; the nerves had begun already, and she was anxious to get to her destination. A guard posted just outside the castle entrance saluted her, and she blinked nervously before nodding to them and continuing in. It wasn’t like she held any real power as royal scientist, but the thought she had any kind of rank still weirded her out.

The castle halls were quiet, the living quarters empty. Asgore must be in the garden then, so she headed downstairs. Voices echoed from down the hall, the king’s especially distinct as he discussed some matter with his unseen visitor. Alphys waited outside until the conversation seemed finished, and nodded to the Astigmatism that ambled out before going in. Asgore was seated on his throne, stroking his beard idly, but he sat up at her arrival, leaning forward on the armrests of his chair.

“Oh! Doctor Alphys, always a pleasure. What brings you in today?” he greeted, a soft smile on his lips.

“U-uh, well, I was hoping I could update you on my progress,” she explained, and his smile fell into something more solemn.

“I see. If you would… please follow me,” he said, standing, his cloak brushing over the delicate flowers that had grown to cover the room long ago as he walked towards a door in the back. Alphys did as she was told, trailing him as he walked through a short, disused corridor and entered another room.

What she found there rendered her breathless; though every monster knew there was a magical barrier that surrounded them in an impenetrable dome, it was another thing entirely to actually see it. A hall extended before them, and it pulsed with light and shadow that rippled out, the magic seeming to breathe with every alternation of white and black. Alphys reached out to press a hand against it, flinching at the vibrating energy that was so close, yet so different from her own—a fundamental incompatibility. She’d read all the literature of scientists who’d studied the barrier before her, but dry technical jargon didn’t quite have the same visceral punch.

She glanced over at Asgore, who looked mournful with his eyes lowered and head bowed. It occurred to her just how long he must have stared at this barrier, with no hope of breaking it until… only to have it torn away again. No wonder he looked so tired.

“We will not be disturbed here. Please… what is it that you have learned?” the king asked quietly, one paw placed over the other.

“U-uh, well… my current hypothesis based on the materials you gave me is that human souls have an inherent power called Determination,” Alphys began. “This power can be extracted given the right equipment, and it seems developing that was taken care of by whoever started this research. Over the past few months, I’ve been learning how this equipment works—it didn’t exactly come with a user’s manual.”

She chuckled at her own joke, noticed Asgore was still stoically listening to her, and coughed.

“Um, s-so, my first order of business was to learn how the device was made in case I needed to repair it. It derives power from a small electro-magical generator separate from the Core, which also powers the rest of the lab. The main apparatus consists of a long, heavy needle attached to multiple vacuum-sealed tubes that draw the Determination into a central chamber. Electro-magical field generators appear to aid in containing whatever substance is extracted, and a variety of servos help raise and lower the main chamber into place. It appears small containers or test tubes could be inserted in a slot on the underside to collect the Determination, but I haven’t found any that would fit just yet. All functions can be controlled via the nearby computer interface, but I was able to access the internal components by folding panels built into the supportive shell. Overall, I found it to be in good working order and ready for… ready for the next part of the experiment,” Alphys explained at length, only looking up at Asgore when she was done.

He nodded thoughtfully, then spoke. “It seems you were very thorough. Were you able to learn who started this research?”

“Heh, well, no,” Alphys laughed nervously. “Even in the computer files, there was nothing. About the only hint I have is that the scaffold that hosts the Extractor appears to be bone magic—a-and as you must know, normally only skeleton monsters can use that.”

“Hmm. How strange. Well, what do you plan to do next?”

“Um, well, I-I think the next step might be… to actually begin studying Determination itself. A-And after that… seeing if a monster… can wield it too. W-which means… I need the human souls,” Alphys replied. She couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive.

“Of course. I can send them whenever you’re ready,” Asgore said graciously, placing a gentle paw on her shoulder. “You have made great strides, and I’m sure what you discover will prove interesting, if not provide us with the answers we seek.”

The barrier pulsed with another breath.

“Th-Thank you,” Alphys said, playing with her claws. “I hope it pays off too. From what I’ve read… it really seems like this could be it.”

Asgore smiled warmly, hope bright in his eyes. “Then I look forward to hearing from you again, doctor. We are all depending on you.”

Alphys headed home not feeling quite as confident as she’d have liked. On the one hand, to have the king’s full support was great, but really there were very few monsters he didn’t support in their endeavors. Far more pressing was his trust that she would discover something that could break the barrier at last, and that she was much less certain she could do. She’d just have to do her best and see where the research took her.

She ran a few more tests on the Extractor later that week, just to make sure it really functioned the way she thought it did. With a few adjustments it was able to extract the magical essence of an apple well enough; the collected, concentrated neutral magic currently sat in a specialized tube on her desk like some kind of strange lamp, and she wasn’t sure what else to do with it. But she had the data readouts, knew how to use the machinery, was confident she could do this. It was time to contact Asgore about the souls.

One awkward phone call and a few days later, and the king himself arrived, pushing a cart before him. The cart was draped with a heavy black fabric to discourage the curious, but they both knew it was exceptionally precious cargo he had brought with him today. Alphys held her breath as Asgore picked up the cloth carefully and lifted it away to reveal six glass canisters. Their size and shape seemed familiar, and suddenly Alphys realized they would fit perfectly into those receptacles in the room with all the tubing and sticky floors—the one she avoided at all costs.

The two worked together to unload the cart, taking utmost care as they set the canisters down. Alphys couldn’t help but stare at each soul as she carried them; appearing inverted compared to a monster soul, they hovered suspended in what she suspected was a magical field, as tranquil as could be despite what had been done to get them. Each shone with a unique hue that reminded her of the different colors of magic—maybe there was a connection there she could investigate as well. But she was getting ahead of herself; the first order of business would be to study each individual soul and discover its properties. And after that…

Asgore bid her a soft farewell when the work was done, and took the cart back with him. The lab fell silent—not that it had been very noisy before—and Alphys sat on the tiled floor with a sigh. For a little while she stayed where she was, simply observing the souls as they floated and shone with their individual light. She wondered who they had been before, and why they may have come to the Underground. To explore? To escape? To hurt? To save? There was no way of knowing now. As much as she loved humans—at least compared to most monsters—Alphys knew she couldn’t become attached to these. There was so little of them left to be attached to, but still… she had a job to do, and she couldn’t waste time on wondering if these humans would have watched anime with her, or were just as dangerous as history portrayed. None of that mattered as they were now. All that mattered was the information she could glean from them.

What was it like to have a soul that lasted beyond death…?

Drawing a heavy sigh, Alphys finally got up from the floor and began moving the canisters to the elevator. She wished Asgore had left the cart, but the elevator was far too small and it wasn’t like the tubes were very heavy; she just couldn’t carry them all out at once and it would take a few trips to bring them to the Extractor, and though it was annoying she’d manage. Somehow the souls made her feel a little safer as she navigated the vacant halls, their soft glow tinting the walls and floor around her. Sure she’d been spending more time here, but she’d never really shaken the sense someone was there watching her all the while. The souls had just enough of a presence they kept the other at bay.

She spent a little while writing down her initial observations for each soul; properties such as color, approximate size, and light intensity. But in watching them so closely, she also found they each had little quirks. The orange soul, bearing a color associated with taking action, bobbed at a steady rate within its confines. The deep blue one slowly rotated on its center axis, and the yellow seemed to jump a little bit every so often as if trying to launch itself. The rest—violet, cyan, and green—were all far more still; cyan especially seemed to be frozen in place, moving even less than the others even as they hovered serenely in their containment fields.

They were all still individuals. They’d had hopes and dreams of their own, surely. Maybe they were still holding on to them, and that was how they had endured after all these years. But now…

Alphys closed her notebook wearily, and took off her glasses to rub at her eyes with a sleeve. She’d wanted to meet humans, but not like this. If she succeeded, the war would break out anew and she might never get to properly meet a human at all. Failure would be condemning everyone she loved and cared about to withering away in a sunless, hopeless prison. Even if humans had moved on, monster kind couldn’t forget what had been done to them.

She needed time to think about this. She tidied up the little workspace she’d arranged and headed back upstairs, grateful to be away from the gloom of the basement and the burden of those souls. Working had kept her up late yet again, so she settled for leftovers and huddled in front of her computer to watch a few episodes of anime before calling it a night. She’d figure out a solution to this dilemma tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Alphys! But I don't have much more to say...
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. A Little Trip

Maybe the souls could wait a bit longer. After yet another surprise visit from Mettaton—and despite the fact Alphys was always happy to see her friend—she decided that surveillance system really was a necessity. And if anyone asked, she could spin it as a tool to watch for humans with, because what else were they but _really_ unexpected guests? She could put them in locations all along the Underground’s length that would make tracking anyone easy.

One materials request later and she had enough supplies to build at least a dozen small cameras that were weatherproof, wirelessly linked, and once the programming was done they’d be able to recognize a human face and follow their every move. Spreading her materials out on her workbench—a fairly recent addition that doubled as a reclining couch for Mettaton, apparently—she began.

There was little Alphys enjoyed more than tinkering. It was freeing to just take whatever parts she had and make something—anything—that came to mind. It was the most informative way of learning how things worked she knew of; the first time she’d stumbled on a trashed human computer half-buried in the mud of Waterfall, she insisted on dragging it home, and proceeded to disassemble it one quiet afternoon.

“Alphys! What—what is all this?” her mother had demanded, sweeping a claw at the tiny components scattered amidst chunks of dried mud on her bedroom floor. “It’s bad enough you wanted that thing, but I didn’t know you were going to make it into even more of a mess!”

“Sorry, I’ll pick it up,” Alphys answered hurriedly, getting up from where she lay on the floor. “I just thought I could fix it, maybe—maybe learn how it worked or something.”

“Honey, no human thing that comes in through the dump can be fixed by just anyone,” her mother huffed. “Just get it cleaned up. That mud really smells.”

Alphys sighed, and set about putting things away. Her mother stared at her, made to leave, then hung back, watching as her daughter took each chip, every transistor, all the wires, and pieced them back together rather than just gather it into a heap like she usually would. Sparks of magic arced from the little monster’s fingers, welding back what she’d taken apart before she tucked the boards back into the beat-up casing. Soon, all that was left was tightening a few screws and sweeping up the swamp debris.

“I’ll take it back if you don’t want me to keep it,” Alphys said sadly when her chore was done. Her foot scuffed the floor nervously.

“Alphys… did putting that thing back together just come naturally to you?” her mother questioned, and she looked up, perplexed.

“U-Um, well, I guess? It makes sense to me,” she replied with a shrug.

“Then… you should keep it, honey. Maybe you’ll be a scientist at the Core one day,” her mother mused optimistically.

“Really!?” Alphys gasped, her eyes wide and practically sparkling with joy. “That… that would be so cool!”

“Just warn us next time you bring something home from the trash,” her mother chided, a hint of teasing in her voice as she pinched her nose. Alphys nodded fervently, and her mother finally left her. Eagerly, she pulled the computer back over and began disassembling it once more.

Magical electricity wasn’t exactly rare, but there weren’t very many monsters that wielded it naturally; it was mostly generated in the Core and was contained by batteries and power lines, or in special magical fields. Alphys didn’t really know how or why it all worked, but it did—and the same was true of her own magic when she’d sent an experimental pulse through a length of wire she’d pulled from her salvaged computer. The energy had raced along the metal as though that was where it was meant to be, and she’d felt a surge of joy. Her magic had never come easily to her in the mock fights at school, with its terrible range and unpredictable patterns. Here, it finally found its true conduit running through wires and circuits, laying out their structures in ways Alphys felt more than she saw.

 She deconstructed and rebuilt that first computer more times than she could count over the years, until finally she’d figured out where all the shorts were and what had happened to its poor burnt-out circuits. Taking what parts she could, and with a few more she’d scrounged from a trashed telephone, she finally built her own little invention—a basic music player. She took it to show off at school, and instantly had classmates begging her for their own and getting into bidding wars trying to buy it off her. The attention was almost too much, but it made her teachers take notice too. The science department made a few inquiries on her behalf, drawing on old connections with staff at the Core. A few months later, they sent her an invitation to a behind-the-scenes tour, and it was there she met her people.

Alphys soon found herself with a special internship, young as she was, working at the Core and learning its ins and outs—the code that ran every computer, the mechanisms that let entire sections reconfigure themselves on command, the laser systems and force fields that kept trespassers at bay. Every day brought something new, but despite the fast pace Alphys was happy to learn about all the tech that made modern life possible, and then some. Her mentors were so impressed they recommended her for the royal labs—which, as some of the less tactful technicians put it, hadn’t seen any real talent in years.

“So you’re the kid everyone’s been talking about?” the lead scientist asked, looking her up and down from their seat in the office. She couldn’t tell if they were impressed or underwhelmed, and she tried not to wring her claws as the tall, vaguely dragon-like monster studied her. They weren’t the royal scientist—no one had held that title since… years ago, but someone had to be in charge of the New Home labs and decide the ultimate fate of interns like her.

“Y-yes,” she stuttered, certain she was about to make a fool of herself and have to say goodbye to all the new friends she’d made over the course of her stint working at the Core. “It’s been s-such an honor, I’ve learned so much here.”

The lead scientist gave a curt nod. “Your assessments show as much. In fact…”

Alphys continued to fidget while her superior glanced through her files. At least things seemed to be going well? The head scientist had an exceedingly good poker face so she couldn’t be sure, but they hadn’t said anything negative… yet, anyway, and she held on to that as they spoke.

“Your suggestions for increasing the efficiency of the Core in particular are quite promising. The estimate we’d only need ice-based cooling every _few_ hours instead of every hour while maintaining current output is not a new idea, but you’re the first to back it up with calculations that check out,” the scientist explained, and Alphys felt her jaw go slack.

“R-really?”

“Yes. And on top of your accuracy and inventiveness, you work quickly—I had to double check with your advisor but you really did build a functional computer from spare parts in one day.”

“Oh, well, I had a lot of practice as a kid,” Alphys said, smiling bashfully. “My lab partner needed a new computer and I had the stuff laying around. It was nothing.”

“That’s just it, Miss Alphys,” the head countered, setting the files down and folding their hands across them. “These tasks are nothing to you. It would be an honor… if you would come work with us as a permanent fixture in the labs.”

Alphys stared, dumbstruck. When she finally found her voice, it was barely more than a squeaky whisper. “You… you mean I… I could work here? All the time? You want me to work here?!”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” they replied, their face finally relaxing into a fanged grin. “You show massive amounts of promise and that’s exactly what we need down here. I’d even say… you could become the royal scientist if you catch the king’s eye.”

“O-oh… oh wow…” Alphys murmured, a hand to her cheek. Could she really? The king was so handsome, and kind, and noble, and she was lying to herself if she said she hadn’t imagined herself at his side once and a while. If she became the royal scientist, she’d get to talk to him all the time, impress him with how smart she was, help him solve the problems of the kingdom, gaze deep into his warm eyes as they held hands and confessed their true—wait, she was getting ahead of herself. But all that was within her reach?

“You can give us your answer in a few days if you need to think about it,” the lead scientist continued hesitantly, not sure what to make of the blushing lizard monster in their office. “I know the title of royal scientist is quite intimidating, and you’re not even done with school. I don’t want the role myself despite years of running these labs, though I forget exactly why…. My point is, I can understand the hesitation.”

“I-I’ll do it!” Alphys stated, slapping her hands on the desk. “When can I start?”

The head scientist had laughed, shaken her hand, and that was how her career as the Underground’s youngest, but shockingly brilliant, scientist began. Things weren’t always easy—she had to deal with jealous colleagues and mistakes she made out of inexperience. But she persevered in spite of it and it wasn’t long before she’d earned her place and led projects instead of just suggesting them and helping her peers with theirs. The Underground had her to thank for improved phone service and the current version of the Undernet, and she had plans for so much more. No one had to know half of it was based on things she’d seen in human cartoons. All that mattered was that she was helping people, and they liked her.

But it wasn’t until she attended the inaugural meeting of a human fan club that she realized how she could finally get King Asgore’s attention. Oh sure, he’d paid the labs visits for inspections, and she’d attended his memorial speeches, and she’d even received personal letters from him thanking her for her contributions that smelled pleasantly of tea and garden soil. They were among her most treasured possessions, but she wasn’t about to settle for that, no. With a little help from a ghost, she’d get the letters’ author himself.

Ah, simpler times. It was fun getting lost in her memories, and even with so much on her mind she’d demonstrated what had gotten her so far—in just over an hour she’d whipped up a functional camera and linked it to the main computer to test it out. Focus, viewing angle, color, it all looked good, so she disconnected it and began on the next one. With the design already worked out, the units that followed would only get easier, and her claws were almost a blur as they flicked around a circuit here, tightened a screw there, sealed the casing and reached for the next one. When they found no more parts, she realized she was done, and looked proudly over fourteen cameras that had been built in the time it would take most monsters to complete one. Now came the hard part: troubleshooting. The cameras could all be linked to the main computer wirelessly, but she had to make sure they’d do so without signals getting crossed and that each could still be controlled independently. Alphys stretched, moved to her seat at the computer, and began sketching code. By her estimates, this part would take until dinner—approximately five hours from now. But she would manage.

The cameras were ready the next day; they’d been fully debugged and worked perfectly, even tracking the little faces of the characters in her manga pages—which in absence of actual humans, had to do. First, she installed two cameras just outside her front and back doors, then moved on towards Waterfall; there’d be plenty of good hiding places there so she’d take her time deciding, and Waterfall was a nice place to take a walk anyway. It was probably the most scenic part of the Underground if a bit damp for many monsters’ tastes, but going there as a kid had removed any discomfort Alphys might’ve felt about the place. The red glow of Hotland faded to the deep blues of Waterfall as tiny glimmering crystals became the main source of light, and heat gave way to swampy humidity.

She navigated the bridges that spanned bottomless channels water had carved through rock for eons, lost in thought as she toted her cargo along. She was aware she was stalling on her true job… but she hadn’t wanted to think about how to study the souls any more invasively than necessary. If they still had individual traits, what if they were still aware? They probably already hated monsters for what had happened to them if they were, and she didn’t want to make it worse by hurting them more. But there didn’t seem to be any way of testing that, and an untestable hypothesis was just bad science. She’d have to carry on, for all monster kind—just like the king always said.

Alphys suddenly collided with something cold, hard, and solid. She wondered if she’d inadvertently walked into a wall—it wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. But walls didn’t talk, certainly not in gruff, brash tones.

“Hey, WATCH IT—wait, are you alright?” The voice’s owner offered a gloved hand, and Alphys gratefully took it. Before she could pull herself up, the stranger hoisted her back to her feet and she was left regaining her balance.

“Th-Thank you. I’m okay,” Alphys replied, craning her neck up to see who she was speaking to, but they were entirely clad in fierce armor, a single eye glinting from the shadows of their visor.

“Just be more careful next time,” the guard huffed. “I don’t need to hear about anyone walking over a cliff.”

“R-Right. Thanks for your concern.”

Alphys waved as the guard carried on down the bridge, then went on herself. The rest of the trek through the marsh passed without incident, and she found the perfect little niche behind a cascade of water to tuck a camera behind on her way out. Having a camera at the entrance of an area made sense anyway—she’d have to put one at the other end of Waterfall on her way back. Checking the time, her eyes popped—this had all taken much longer than she’d expected. She was so close to Snowdin, and she didn’t want to turn back just yet—maybe she could stay at the inn? Yeah, that sounded like a good idea; it would be nice to be away from the lab, like a mini vacation. To someplace that froze her scales off, but a vacation.

The temperature had been steadily dropping since she’d left Hotland, correlating with a slow climb as she journeyed on through the mountain, but she still wasn’t quite prepared for the icy chill that hung in the air as she entered the far edge of Snowdin. Fog billowed up where one mass of warm, humid air met a mass of cold, and she had to shuffle along through the mist hoping she was headed in the right direction. This would be a horrible spot for a camera, and a worse place to get lost.

She kept going, clearing the fog to finally set eyes on the small town. At the very edge of the subterranean kingdom and bitterly cold most days of the year, Snowdin wasn’t exactly the bustling urban center like she was used to; some of her gruffer coworkers had called it a hick town once. Part of her envied the laid-back pace it seemed to exude though, and she could understand why those who could bear the cold chose to raise their families out here.

“Oh! Hello Doctor Alphys!” a loud voice pierced the air, and Alphys squinted at the tall figure waving to her from down the road. Who would know her in Snowdin…?

“It is I, the Great Papyrus, who is your friend because you’re my brother’s friend and any friend of my brother is a friend of mine! At least, I would hope. Welcome to Snowdin!”

“O-oh, hey!” Alphys called, trotting to join the skeleton. She’d forgotten they lived out here, to be honest—with how quickly he got around, Sans always made it seem like they lived much closer. “How are you, Papyrus?”

“I am great as always, nyeh heh! But even better after meeting you! I suppose you are out here to discuss sciencey things with Sans?” he asked, stroking his chin with a hand.

“Uh, no, not really. I’m—I’m kind of doing something else,” Alphys replied, glancing at the bag slung over her shoulders.

“I’ll say. You definitely don’t look like you’re doing science—rather, you’re doing a very poor Santa impersonation! Your bag’s much too small and the timing is all wrong!” Papyrus declared, and Alphys blinked.

“Um. Yeah. It is a pretty bad impersonation, huh?” she agreed with a small laugh. “Good thing I’m not actually trying to be Santa.”

“Indeed. So if you’re not doing a mediocre Santa sendup, what are you doing?” Papyrus asked, and they turned to continue on down the road.

“U-uh, well, I was thinking we could use cameras to watch in case a human ever comes through,” Alphys began. “It wouldn’t replace the Royal Guard sentries, b-but it might help them mobilize more effectively.”

“I see… how ingenious! Maybe a little creepy… but brilliant!” Papyrus declared.

“W-well, I don’t know about creepy, ha ha… they, um, can only track human faces, a-and it's not like I have nothing better to do than watch camera feeds all day, so monsters won’t have to worry about them at all,” Alphys explained. “But yeah! I thought they’d be handy.”

“I suppose anything that leads to capturing a human can’t be too bad! I would know! I do that every day and I’m great!” Papyrus assured. “Do you need assistance in any way?”

“Oh, thank you, but I can handle it,” Alphys declined politely.

“Very well! Feel free to visit my house anytime—it’s this one just up ahead!”

“Ha ha, alright. See you later,” Alphys said, returning the energetic skeleton’s wave as he headed back towards Waterfall. She wondered what business he might have there, then shook her head and went on her way. She passed by the house Papyrus had pointed out, and admired how big and cozy it looked; maybe she would stop by later after all and check in with the brothers, since it’d been a while since she’d seen or even talked with Sans.

She headed through the rest of the quaint town, and the warm smell of cinnamon rising from a local shop reminded her she hadn’t had anything to eat all afternoon. One stop later and she had a freshly baked Cinnamon Bunny to munch on as she continued into the bordering forest. It really was quiet out here, but a far different sort of quiet compared to the eerie stillness of her basement lab. This was a peaceful quiet, the kind disturbed by kids playing in the snow after school, or people talking softly as they went on a stroll. There were no dark, unfathomable secrets here—only the soft melancholy of the passage of time.

After working her way around a variety of puzzles and doing her best not to slip on glassy patches of ice, she reached the thickest part of the forest. The trees grew tall and straight along this stretch of disused road, and though Alphys knew she was not big as far as monsters went, she felt positively dwarfed as she walked beneath them. Not much farther ahead, the road ended at the doors to the Ruins, which had been locked for decades and only those who could burrow or pass through walls had any idea what lay beyond them. She would have liked to put cameras out there—the more forewarning they had the better—but a nearby bush would have to do. She mounted the camera to a sturdy branch and connected the power and data links, double-checked it all, and when she was satisfied with her work she finally turned to head back.

It really was getting late—by her estimates, she wouldn’t get home until well past midnight if she simply walked back, and it was unlikely the Riverperson was still making their rounds. With nothing but a lab coat to keep it at bay, the cold was really starting to get to her too, and snuggling into a warm bed sounded like the best idea in the world right now. Well, that settled it didn’t it? She’d stay at the inn, get a good night’s rest, and head back home in the morning. Toasty bed, here she came!

“Oh, I’m so sorry dear. I’m full up for the night,” the pleasant rabbit lady working the inn desk apologized, shaking her head. “Wouldn’t you know a big family from the city would take up all our beds? I’d have never guessed we’d be so popular tonight.”

“I-it’s okay. It just looked so nice here,” Alphys said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

“Well thank you. I hope you’ll come visit us again,” the lady offered, and Alphys nodded. She drew a sigh, and drummed her fingers against her snout as she thought. Well, at the very least, she could stop standing here awkwardly and go visit her friends.

Papyrus greeted her loudly within seconds of knocking. “Doctor Alphys! It is good to see you! Though you look thoroughly chilled to the bone! Nyeh heh heh!”

“good one,” Sans called from inside, and his brother waved her in out of the cold.

“I knew if I didn’t say it you would, brother, so I saved you the hassle and me the annoyance! Another clever caper of the Great Papyrus!” the tall skeleton cackled. “Now! Miss Alphys, you are just in time for my latest culinary exploits! Prepare to feast on the finest of baked bread, warmed to crisp perfection by my expert hand!”

“he means toast,” Sans clarified from where he sat at the couch, and Papyrus glared at him.

“It is not merely ‘toast’, as you so plainly call it! I spent hours slaving away on crafting a meal fit for someone as great as me and I will not stand for this mockery!”

“it’s toast… and it’s, uh, toast. i don’t think alphys is ready to try charcoal tonight.”

“Hmm…. Perhaps you have a point, unlikely as it is! My cooking is simply too great for anyone else to appreciate. I’ll just have to keep trying!”

“that’s the spirit, paps. so alph, papyrus was telling me you were putting up cameras all over today. didn’t think you were one for espionage,” Sans said, scooting over so Alphys could join him.

“W-well, you know, I was tired of people just randomly showing up at my house, but it gave me the idea of giving us a way to track humans if another one ever appeared,” she explained as she took the offered seat.

“We’re sure to nab a human now!” Papyrus added confidently. “Though I still feel we need more puzzles. The current ones are good… but they could be better! I just know it!”

“Yeah, I saw them while I was putting up my cameras. Did you make them?” Alphys asked.

“oh boy,” Sans muttered with a soft laugh, and she glanced over at him before turning back to Papyrus, who looked ready to explode.

“No! But I could! I could do far better than the relics I’ve been tasked with maintaining as part of my test run with the Royal Guard! The current selection lack the finesse and challenge they should—merely pressing buttons in the right order ain’t no puzzle! They need intrigue! They need style! That’s right! They need me—the Great Papyrus!” he ranted, making a flourishing gesture for emphasis. “I have all kinds of plans for when I am finally admitted into the Royal Guard—puzzles so clever, so brain-bendingly incredible, that I shall be forever remembered as the greatest puzzle-maker of our time! Nyeh! Heh! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!”

“hey paps, this seems like the perfect time to work on some of those while me an’ alphys go grab some grub, huh? didn’t you get a new book on puzzles the other day?” Sans suggested, interrupting his brother’s cackling.

“Ugh, you’re not going to Grillby’s again are you?” Papyrus groaned, his tirade forgotten.

“what makes you think that?” Sans joked, then continued more earnestly. “hey, i was just thinking, since you don’t care for the place, just me and alph would go.”

“I see… you were only considering my feelings…. Thank you brother! I shall see you both in a little while, but I expect all grease to be washed clean of your hands before you return! Got it? No wiping on your jacket either, that doesn’t count!”

“that work for you, alph?” Sans asked, turning to her, and she shrugged.

“I-I guess. I only had a Cinnamon Bunny earlier, so anything sounds good right now,” she admitted, which seemed to prompt Sans to get up.

“anything except papyrus’ toast right? ‘cause if _anything_ sounds good… well, you’re welcome to try it,” he teased, and she waved him off dismissively. “alright papyrus, we’ll see ya later. stay outta trouble.”

“I should be telling you that!” Papyrus called with mock-anger and his brother waved back at him as the two headed out.

Alphys wasn’t quite ready to face the cold again, but the promise of hot (and edible) food was motivation enough. She’d passed the restaurant earlier and hadn’t thought much of it, but now the warm glow that spilled from its windows looked quite inviting. Stepping inside, it was noticeably warmer than the skeletons’ house had been—with a fire elemental monster running the place it wasn’t hard to see why.

“hm. booth or bar, alph?” Sans asked, indicating the options with a hand.

“O-oh, I guess a booth would be nice,” she replied, and they took an empty one furthest from the door.

“let’s get the food ordered, then we can chat,” Sans suggested, handing over a menu, and she nodded before perusing her options. There wasn’t anything very fancy, which was to be expected of a local bar—though glancing at the drinks list, she had to wonder what a ‘Snowman’s Chance in Hell’ was. Eventually she settled on a standard burger; Sans seemed to approve, having ordered exactly the same thing, and Grillby chuckled as he took their order. At least she thought he chuckled—his hissing, crackling voice was difficult to understand. With that out of the way, Sans turned to her and leaned back in the seat.

“so. work’s been keepin ya busy?”

“Ugh, yeah,” Alphys sighed. “I don’t even know where to start half the time, and then what to do with the results I collect. I just… keep at it though, hoping something reveals itself.”

Sans nodded. “hey, i know the feeling. my stuff’s nothing but crunching numbers.”

“I’d be okay if it was just numbers. T-this is… it’s, uh, more like… medical research,” Alphys elaborated, and Sans looked away.

“oh boy. the soft stuff.”

“Yeah. A-and I mean, I’ve sort of done it before? But not on this scale, and not with—not with these… materials…” she trailed, and he nodded slowly.

“well, i’m rootin’ for ya. asgore had a reason for picking you. if it were me… well, i don’t think i could handle something like that.”

“I-it’s definitely not what I expected,” Alphys began, but they were interrupted by the arrival of their food and they took a few minutes to dig in. The burger was far from gourmet, but it was exactly what she needed after a long day, and the lingering vibration of fire magic chased away any cold still embedded in her scales.

“it’s good, huh?” Sans commented; apparently her thoughts had been clear on her face. “grillby really knows how to do a burger right. ‘course not in my brother’s opinion, but hey, paps has his own tastes.”

Alphys smiled; it seemed like Sans took any opportunity he had to talk about his brother. “Y-you two are really close, huh? My little sibling just gets on my nerves.”

“psh, we bug each other all the time,” Sans said with a chuckle. “’sides, there’s even more of an age gap between you and them right? that makes things hard too.”

“Y-yeah. But I’m not living at home anymore, so it’s not so bad. B-but you knew that!” Alphys laughed.

“heh, yeah. but we’re gettin’ off-topic. what do you think you’ll do next?”

“Oh, well… I-I think I’m almost ready to… to extract the… DT. I’ve run a few control tests now—there’s the concentrated essence of an apple on my desk right now,” Alphys explained, pulling a smile, and Sans chuckled.

“bet you got some juicy data from that.”

“Oh my god?” Alphys uttered before descending into laughter. Sans waited until she calmed down to continue, wearing what seemed like a very satisfied grin.

“still, sounds like you’re making progress. studying soul power is probably gonna help us out sooner than the fundamental laws of the universe.”

“You never know,” Alphys said hopefully. “We still have no idea how souls work—even monster souls, really—a-and humans… well, our sample size is extremely limited.”

“you said it.”

“S-so… I just have to take my time. A-and be careful. Maybe, if we can figure out what DT is, we can replicate it with our own magic…? I don’t know. I don’t even know how I’d test that,” Alphys replied mournfully. “But it could mean giving a monster the power of a human soul…”

Alphys flinched as she heard a click, but looking up, there didn’t seem to be any clear source. She must’ve imagined it.

“it’s heavy stuff, huh?” Sans asked solemnly. “i don’t know if asgore knew what he was getting you into, but it seems like it’d be real easy to end up as the mad scientist they’ll use in some cautionary tale for years to come. if it’s not hidden.”

Alphys stifled a chill that was unrelated to the weather. “Y-yeah…”

“i guess what i’m sayin’ is… it’d be real easy to hurt someone doin’ this stuff. i can’t see you doin’ it on purpose, but… you better be really sure about what you’re doing before you start testing on people.”

“Wh… S-Sans, do you know something about this? A-about… DT?” Alphys asked in a low voice.

“are you joking? i just read a lot of science fiction as a kid,” the skeleton replied with a chuckle. “that stuff taught me all about science gone wrong. let’s hope you never have a reason to invent giant radioactive ants.”

Alphys managed a laugh. “I hope not. That would be so weird. Now, a giant robot to _fight_ radioactive ants…”

“that’s definitely something you’d do,” Sans said, and they laughed again before falling into a comfortable quiet. Sans poked at the crumbs on his plate, and Alphys gazed off at the rest of the room. The various patrons made for a lively scene as they chatted jovially, though things had been oddly silent while she and Sans had talked these last few minutes.

“it’s pretty unlikely, really. but maybe you’ll figure it out,” he finished, sliding his plate over to the edge of the table. “and my offer’s still open. you need anything, you can call me.”

“Th-thanks,” Alphys nodded. Grillby came by to take their dishes, and Sans put a few hundred gold down to pay for everything.

“O-oh, I can pay,” Alphys began, but he waved his hand.

“nah, don’t sweat it. i found some extra change in the couch.”

Alphys snorted. Being a scientist paid quite well and the meal wouldn’t have put her out anything, but that reminded her. “Sans, you really are good with science. Getting into the labs would be a piece of cake for you. I-I… I think I could even put in a recommendation for you. That… that would be better than working random jobs all the time… right?”

Sans shook his head. “thought about it, but then i was afraid it’d stop being fun, y’know?”

 “Oh… w-well, my offer still stands. If there’s something I can get you—literature, equipment, something like that—well, I’ll see what I can do. It’s the least I can do for my friend,” she answered, and he looked away.

“nah, i’m good, really. but… y’know, papyrus… he’s pretty serious about joining the royal guard. i know it’s not your usual thing, but if you could build a puzzle for his part of the patrol one day, well… it’d make him feel pretty special,” Sans replied, eyes closed.

“Oh… sure. I’d be happy to,” Alphys said with a smile.

“thanks a million alph,” Sans said, sitting up in his seat. “so, howzabout we head home? papyrus’ll burst in here any minute if we take too long.”

“Oh, yeah. I bet he would.”

“don’t worry. i know a shortcut.”

They slid from the booth, and Sans gave an easy wave to the rest of the bar’s patrons as he and Alphys headed for the door. His hand met the handle, and they stepped through—and before Alphys could blink they were walking up to the skeleton brothers’ home. Her scales barely had time to cool off before they were wiping snow from their feet on the carpet inside.

“hey papyrus, we’re back,” Sans called, and his brother poked his head out of his room.

“Good! I was starting to think you’d been tragically buried in a snowdrift!”

“nah, can’t be rid of me that easy. besides, i’d’ve had doctor alphys to dig me out,” he replied nonchalantly as he headed for the couch, only to stop mid-step. “oh yeah paps, we better get this ready for her to sleep on.”

“I thought the inn had perfectly good beds?” Papyrus questioned. “Surely Doctor Alphys doesn’t want to sleep on that old thing.”

“inn was full,” Sans replied as he prodded at one of the lumpier cushions. “we got some extra blankets, right?”

“Of course! With how you like to burrow, it’s a wonder we don’t have more. Or that I haven’t accidentally washed you.”

Alphys listened to the brothers banter, wondering how Sans had known about the inn; maybe word traveled fast in a place like Snowdin, and something like a big family of out-of-towners was news. Papyrus came downstairs and transformed the couch into a makeshift bed in minutes, with one blanket tucked around the cushions to form a buffer against the most offensive lumps, and another as her actual covers. Sans contributed by tossing over a pillow, and his brother shot him a look as he fluffed it and set it gently against the armrest. All in all, in no time the worn sofa had transformed into a comfortable-looking bed, and Alphys resisted laughing as she realized it was like a magical girl.

With everything settled, she bid the brothers goodnight, and they retreated to their respective rooms. Laying down, she realized how much walking she’d done in one day and considered just skipping installing more cameras to take the ferry home. It was tempting… and she probably had enough already, right? It might be good to keep some extras on hand in case she needed to replace them. She’d check how everything worked tomorrow and see if there were any glaring blind spots and fix those later. With a plan of action decided, she nestled into the blankets, which smelt of fabric softener and bone, and drifted off.

\--

Asgore inhaled deeply, savoring the earthy, yet slightly sweet scent of his tea. His cup looked miniscule in his massive paws, but he sipped at it delicately as he enjoyed the peace of the morning. No doubt he would soon have some matter to attend to, whether it was reports from the Royal Guard, allocating funding for the various public services his court oversaw, or advising on some legal matter. If he was lucky, it would be someone seeking his advice—he liked listening to his subjects’ problems and hopes, and he supposed had he not been born a boss monster he’d have gone into doing therapy work. Of course, he’d been born long before therapy had been developed.

Heaving a sigh, he set his cup aside and stretched, and promptly noticed a small skeleton standing in his doorway.

“Oh! Howdy Sans, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“i couldn’t bring myself to disturb your moment of tranquili-tea,” Sans joked easily, and the king chuckled.

“Still ever ready with a pun, I see. You are quite the comedian,” he said lightly, indicating a seat at the table, which Sans gladly took.

“to think i wasted my life on science when i could’ve been a comic,” the skeleton answered with feigned disappointment, and the two laughed together.

“Well, what brings you in, my friend? Something I should know about?” Asgore finally said when their laughter had died down.

“nothin’ big. no one takes you seriously as usual, papyrus is still tryin’ to get into the royal guard, and everyone’s hanging on to the hope another human’s gonna appear any day now.”

“So… the usual…” Asgore said, nodding.

“yup. though… that last one’s gettin’ kinda tough. it’s been a while since a human’s come through.”

“I see…. And indeed it has.” Asgore stated gravely. “Any suggestions?”

“well, unless you feel like crossing that barrier yourself, i can’t think of any quick solutions,” Sans answered with a shrug. “but i know you. i don’t blame you for not doing something like that. though the people would be pretty mad if they found out.”

Asgore nodded slowly, remaining silent.

“alph might make a breakthrough though.”

“Doctor Alphys?” Asgore pressed, perking up.

“poor kid asked me for help. has a couple times. she seems a little lost if you ask me,” Sans replied. “’course that’s what happens when you hand someone incomplete research.”

There was a clear hint of accusation in Sans’ voice. Asgore shifted uncomfortably, his expression hardening.

“Hm. So you know about that. Are you the only one that does?”

“as far as i know.”

“I suppose it’s for the best. I’m glad you’ve been able to aid her; I do not know everything she’s had to do, nor would I understand it, I’m afraid,” Asgore admitted with a sigh. “I… fear I may have set her on a dangerous path.”

“got that right,” Sans huffed. “not many ways she can test this stuff without resorting to live subjects eventually. she might work somethin’ out—alph is smart. but there’s no getting around the chance someone could get hurt.”

Asgore grunted. “Unfortunately, all known paths have that possibility. In some… it is an inevitability. It is something… I’ve had to accept for a long time now. We must trust Alphys on this. She has a good heart, and will do what she thinks is best.”

“yeah.”

“I do regret having to burden her with such a task. Perhaps this research was best left untouched, but we are running out of time. As you said, it is getting hard to hope.”

“yeah,” Sans agreed softly. “can’t say i’m a fan of the approach, but hey. maybe we’ll find a way around it. and you know about resets.”

Asgore nodded again.

“so… better to get this stuff done before we find out if that’s really something humans can do.”

“A good point, my friend,” Asgore agreed. “No matter what, I’m sure we will all pull through somehow. I have seen monster kind rise from the ashes of its devastation to have hope again, and though it is hard, we cannot give up. To give up would be a final defeat we would only have ourselves to blame for.”

They fell silent for a while, then a clanging knock at the door announced a Royal Guard’s presence.

“Sir!”

“Yes, just a moment! Sans, as always, it has been a pleasure speaking to you. I trust I will see you again soon, but until then, farewell,” Asgore said, extending a paw.

“yup. i’ll be keepin’ an eye socket on things, no worries,” Sans replied, taking the king’s hand and shaking it. He stood and headed out, nodding to the dog guard as he passed by, then took a shortcut back to Snowdin.

He had a bad feeling about Asgore’s willingness to pursue any alternative to taking another human soul. Sure, he despised that anyone had to die at all—no doubt the humans on the surface wouldn’t take kindly to hearing what the king of the monsters had done to get those other souls. But putting Alphys in this position didn’t sit right with him either.

Well, he’d told Asgore how he felt about it. If the king didn’t want to listen, he supposed there wasn’t much he could do about it. As worried as he was about Alphys, he had to trust her to make her own decisions. And he had his own stuff to work on that would hopefully render all this moot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was late! I had a heck of a time figuring out what the picture should be on top of generally not feeling like drawing; it was not the most fun of times. But! It's here now and the next chapter will go up on Monday as planned, and it'll be a fun one. ;D
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Progress: Start?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up for brief mentions of needles and medical experimentation this chapter; it's not too detailed or graphic but it's worth a mention all the same.

It was hard to believe it had been over a year since Alphys had begun studying the human souls. She had reams of data now—energy charts detailing each soul’s natural frequencies, how they reacted to various magical fields, even minute effects they seemed to have on space-time. Spectrograms suggested that despite each soul shining in one unique color, they gave off bands of energy that shone in the other souls as well. The only color that ran through all of them more or less evenly, and that was missing as a dominant hue, was a powerful red. There was no monster magic of an equivalent color she could compare it to. She had to study it in isolation to confirm her suspicions, but all evidence suggested it was the power she sought. Test runs with the Extractor had gone smoothly, and now… it was time for the real thing. She was going to extract Determination.

Trembling claws checked every connection for what felt like the hundredth time; the vacuum tubing was secured in place, the vial to hold extracted substances sealed in its chamber, the soul canister clamped in a special brace to prevent any possibility of movement. The power cables and sensor lines were locked in, and the generator was running at optimum levels. There was no putting it off any longer.

Alphys retreated up to the computer terminal and navigated to the ‘Start’ command on the menu, and took a deep breath. This would go fine, she told herself. She’d done all she possibly could to prepare. Everyone was counting on her.

She hit the button, and the machine filled the room with sound as it whirred to life. She watched with clipboard and pen in hand, ready to take notes if anything happened as the needle descended towards the soul. She grit her teeth as it pressed into the soul’s margins, the polished metal tip obscured by hazy magic. But nothing strange happened. The machine ran through the routine without a hitch, the soul remained intact, nothing exploded. Eager to see what had been collected, she hurried down to the experiment floor and opened the Extractor’s chamber, carefully prying the vial out. What landed in her tremulous hands was a glass tube filled with luminous red light.

_It had worked._

\--

Several weeks had passed since that first extraction.

Alphys hadn’t figured out how to use Determination to break the barrier. She hadn’t figured out what to do with any of the data she’d collected, really. She had a lot of it now, having extracted vials of the strange red substance from each of the souls, the results the same every time. This could only be the power that separated a human soul from a monster’s, but there was no way of using it. She stared at the row of small tubes lined up on her desk and sighed, wishing they were more than bizarre desk ornaments at the moment. They were completely inert, and nothing she had thrown at their contents—magic, heat, cold, radiation—caused any reaction.

To unlock its true power, it seemed Determination had to be part of a living thing.

Sans’ warnings still echoed in Alphys’ head, and he was right—testing that idea without hurting anyone would be difficult, if not impossible. She could ask for volunteers, but… who would want to subject themselves to such a thing when she had no idea what would happen? Maybe this was why her predecessor had never completed their work. It couldn’t be done without crossing some major lines, and though Alphys had done some less-than-honest things to get her job, it wasn’t anything this bad. She wasn’t ready to… to possibly have dust on her hands if things went wrong.

Her phone rang, piercing the quiet and her thoughts and making her jump. She hurried to answer it, her heartrate spiking when she realized who it was.

“Y-yes! Asgore! Hello! What’s—what’s the problem?”

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” he said, sounding ashamed.

“N-no, not really. Don’t worry about it,” she dismissed. “What’s up?”

“I… I was hoping you might have some good news,” Asgore replied somberly, and her heart sank.

“Well, n-nothing’s… gone wrong here, so…” Alphys trailed. “At least I don’t have… bad… news?”

Asgore chuckled. “That is true. You’ll recall we took a census some months ago.”

“Y-yeah. And?”

“I have received the results.”

“Oh. W… Well?”

“I was hoping you would have good news… because the people need it. The Guard found just over twenty monsters who have… fallen down, recently. That’s approximately… six percent of our population, I’m told.”

“… Oh my god…” Alphys uttered softly. “I’m so sorry…”

She really wished she’d had good news after all. Monsters were blessed with a physiology that was affected by very few infectious diseases, and the main causes of death were accidents and old age. But another was only talked about in hushed tones and masked by the term ‘fallen down’, lest it affect others. In clearer terms, it was a monster succumbing to utter despair, their soul no longer able to sustain itself, and chain reactions of the grieving families or friends also falling down were not unknown. It was something there was no recovering from—once a victim closed their eyes, it would be for the last time.

“I’m sorry to tell you such unpleasant things,” Asgore continued, “but it means your work is more important than ever. Please…”

“I… I understand. I’ll keep trying. I…” she trailed as something occurred to her. Of course. “Asgore, I just had an idea.”

“Oh?” he replied, sounding intrigued.

“I… I’ve been struggling to come up with how we can use Determination—it’s no good on its own. One idea I’ve been considering for a while is, what if a monster was given DT, b-but I was afraid to test it… B-but I just thought—w-what if we… what if we gave it to monsters who have fallen down? It… it’s what keeps human souls from disappearing right? So… so it might, uh, heal them, a-and if it doesn’t work, then… then they were already… you know. Going to die anyway,” Alphys proposed nervously. It was a practical solution, if not the most… respectful. But it had to be better than nothing.

“… I shall put out a call,” Asgore said after a while, his voice full of decisive authority.

“W-wait! I need to get things ready,” Alphys said quickly, “then… then let’s do it.”

“I am glad some good may come of this after all. Call me when you are ready.”

“Of course. Goodbye, Asgore,” she replied, and hung up.

Alphys heaved a sigh, and steeled herself. If she was really going through with this, she had a lot to do. The upstairs lab was too small for something like this—there was no way she’d fit everyone in and have her equipment too. But the downstairs lab wasn’t ready either, set up more for working with small samples and numerical data when what she needed was something more like a hospital.

Hastily, she set about clearing out the room of desks downstairs, replacing the long tables with austere beds once her request went through—just enough to hold the number of fallen monsters Asgore had quoted. She left the Extractor room unchanged, but decided it was time to remove almost everything in the room she planned on using to take samples in—she never had figured out what those weird sockets were for. Peeling the metal casings from the wall felt good, and it was funny too, in a way—she’d vowed to remodel things when she’d first moved in, and now she was finally doing it almost a year and a half later. She salvaged anything she could of the tubing and wires, sorting them into piles on the floor while she worked. Even if the king had promised any supplies she might need, old habits died hard.

Tugging firmly on one particularly stubborn coupling, Alphys popped it apart and suddenly found a viscous white slime pouring over her claws. She jerked her hands away and suppressed a gag; whatever this stuff was it stuck to her scales and tingled, and she rushed to the sinks at the back corner to wash it off. The substance melted away under the water, and she sighed—there didn’t seem to be any damage to her skin. She dried her hands off, then returned to the pipe that had produced the sludge with a test tube, ready to collect a sample. There wasn’t much left in this lab, but producing weird substances seemed to be the one thing it was for, and anything could be a hint at…

Wait.

The pipe had still been dripping when she’d ran to clean her hands, but now there was no trace of the stuff at all, neither spilled out on the floor or counter, nor within the pipe where it had originated.

Typical.

Alphys sighed and ran a hand over her face, leaning against a chair until her nerves had calmed down. She didn’t have time for these shenanigans again, and as soon as her heart stopped racing she continued tearing down the remnants of whatever past experiment all this tubing had been for. Once it had all been cleared away and carted off to storage, she sealed the wall up and left it looking like nothing had ever been installed there. It went a long way towards clearing up the ominous atmosphere that had haunted her from day one, and now all that was left was putting in a few reclining chairs to hold her patients when she… when they… when it was time.

Accommodations arranged and the lab as ready as it ever would be, she finally called Asgore. He wasted no time in putting out the request for families of monsters who had recently fallen down, imploring them to consider donating their loved one to science. Part of Alphys wished no one would heed the request—but monsters were given to jumping on any scrap of hope they could find, and the thought their family could be saved from slowly withering away, well… she couldn’t blame them. Within a few days, she received almost a score of letters from people asking her, begging her, to help, and explaining that they would soon be by to drop off the fallen. Alphys passed the next few days with a tightness in her chest, waiting, and when the doorbell finally rang she jumped. She hurried to grab a clipboard with a checklist she’d made, then went to greet the people that had volunteered their relatives for her work.

A group of Froggits bearing their listless family elder in a little wagon.

Several Moldsmal carrying in a Moldbygg like a group of pallbearers, undulating sluggishly beneath their gelatinous kin.

Astigmatism huddling together, clicking their teeth and watching with mournful, guarded eyes as one of their own was laid on a stretcher and carted into the lab.

A small cloud of Whimsum sobbing and sighing as they set a limp Whimsalot in Alphy’s arms, only to flutter off when she tried to console them.

Muscular hippocamps lashing their tails in anguish, grief overcoming any bravado they usually had when all she could promise was that she’d do her best for their fallen brothers.

A clan of Vegetoids that offered a pair of their fallen before shuffling off, their strange sibilant voices hushed.

A limp, scaly body left alone in front of her door; camera footage revealed a tearful fishlike monster giving it a final nuzzle before darting off frightfully.

A heartbroken Snowdrake and his son, who avoided eye contact with one another as the father gently laid his wife on the lab’s tile floor.

Distraught yips and whines from four families of dogs as they left parents, siblings, and cousins behind—the aftermath of a chain reaction. It was almost unsurprising in creatures known for their loyalty and tight-knit families.

And that was the last of them. Everyone had arrived—and it really was every fallen monster the Underground contained at the moment—and now rested in the basement barracks. Alphys passed by the bodies, which breathed slowly but were otherwise still as she made notes on their conditions. As she’d read in what little she could find on the matter, performing a thorough check on a fallen monster would reveal their base stats had all dropped to zero—even their HP, an overall measure of their energy and health. They were left with whatever amount they’d had slowly draining away, until it reached 0/0 and they would finally turn to dust. Alphys wrote this number down for each of her patients, as it not only gave her something to compare to if the Determination did anything but how long she had to administer the substance. As for a control group… well, it was well-established what happened to a fallen monster.

Testing Determination on them was the only hope these monsters might have of recovery, and depending on the results, they could go on to save everyone. The king and now their families were counting on her, and it was time she lived up to the title she’d been given.

Over the course of her studies, she’d learned the average amount of determination a human soul contained at any one time. It was possible that was the amount needed to unlock its power, but she’d start with far less than that and see what happened. Borrowing one of the replacement needles she’d made for the Extractor, she fashioned a syringe and emptied three of the vials on her desk into it. She’d wait until tomorrow to actually begin testing, but at the very least she could get everything ready.

Pulling a yawn so wide it hurt her face was the sign it was time for bed. Alphys rubbed at aching eyes as she shuffled papers aside and pushed her chair in, then slowly trudged back to the elevator. She’d been thinking of curling up with some manga, but glancing at the time that was out of the question if she wanted to be up at a reasonable hour tomorrow.

That hour came sooner than she’d have liked, but with her patients’ time running out she couldn’t afford to dawdle. After getting a little breakfast and cleaning up, she headed to the lower lab once more, collected the syringe of DT and a notepad, and then headed to where her test subjects lay peacefully, looking for all the world like they were asleep. Part of her was loathe to disturb them—there was no telling what would happen to them and she was terrified they’d suffer somehow. At least falling down was a peaceful way to go.

But it was just as likely nothing would happen.

She wouldn’t find out either way if she kept standing there, so she started by observing how her subjects had fared overnight, jotting down their health readouts. Besides the little numbers that quantified the amount of energy they had left, nothing else had changed about them. Alphys hoped to change that for the better soon. Her initial observations finished, she picked up the syringe full of glowing red fluid, and took a deep breath. Only a few milliliters to start with.

She shuffled to the first bed, her hands shaking slightly as she approached the Vegetoid laying still on the sheets. They were quite strange creatures, even for monsters, keeping to themselves and claiming to be the vegetables they mimicked more often than not. Alphys hoped their rough, earth-toned skin would be thick enough it wouldn’t hurt when she punctured it.

She hated this, but there was no other choice.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, as much to herself as her patient.

\--

“Alphys darling!” a robotic voice called flamboyantly, accompanied by clashing against the lab door. Alphys awoke with a start, rubbing at bleary eyes with one hand as she reached for her glasses with the other. Sliding out of bed and tugging on a wrinkled lab coat, she rode the conveyor downstairs and was enwrapped in Mettaton’s extendable arms the instant she opened the door.

“There you are my dear! I’ve been so worried!” the robot droned, holding her out at arm’s length.

“Wh… What? Why?” Alphys said sleepily.

“I haven’t seen you in months! You’ve been holed up in this dreadful old lab working on god knows what, and you haven’t replied to any of my premiere invitations!”

 “O-oh, sorry. I’ve been… really busy,” Alphys answered with a wincing smile.

“Well! Consider those other plans canceled! Today you’re getting an exclusive treat others only dream of!” Mettaton boasted. He always had been one for dramatics. “An entire day with yours truly!”

“W-well, I really should—”

“Ah-ah! No wriggling out of this one darling! It’s been too long!” Mettaton insisted, ignoring her protests. “What could possibly be more important than me?”

“Um. The King?” Alphys answered, looking aside. “Look Mettaton, I’d love to go out and have fun, but this is my job. Everyone’s counting on me.”

“Yes, the job you got thanks to me, remember?” the robot huffed. “And if I know anything about employment, it’s that everyone gets regulated breaks. I’m here to make you take yours.”

“Alright, alright!” Alphys chuckled. “So… what do you want to do? Work on your body? Uh… watch… anime…?”

“Alphys darling, as much as I ache for what we’ve envisioned together, working on my body is still work,” he replied, wagging a finger. “I’ve got something far more entertaining in mind!”

Mettaton withdrew something from behind his back—a thin plastic case with jewel-eyed cartoon heroines on the cover, and Alphys squealed. He handed it over and watched her read the package furiously with his hands planted on his sides, seeming to wear a smile.

“Super Senshi Staru-chan? I’ve never even heard of this one before! A-and it’s the complete season—Mettaton, where did you get this?!”

“Same place as always, gorgeous! But I may have had my staff clean it up for you a little. You know…” he trailed, folding his arms behind his back. “This is actually the anniversary of when we first met.”

Alphys looked up at him. “Oh… oh no, I totally forgot! Y-You’re right. I-I’ve been so focused on my work, a-and now it’s… not going well. M-maybe… Yeah, you’re right. I do need a break.”

She smiled weakly, holding the DVD case close.

“I’m always right!” Mettaton sang, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “And no hard feelings about not getting me anything, working on my body will be anniversary gift enough. Shall we?”

He gestured towards the large computer screen built into the wall nearby, and Alphys nodded eagerly. She got a beanbag chair for Mettaton to recline in before taking her own seat at the computer, then cracked the DVD case open and checked the disc for scratches before slipping it in. She bounced eagerly as the video player fired up, selected ‘Play All’ on the DVD menu, then went still as the glitzy opening theme burst from the speakers.

Mettaton personally didn’t like anime much; Alphys could tell from his lukewarm reception to the few episodes she’d shown him in the past. That was okay! Not everyone could appreciate the nuances of the storytelling, or the strange voice acting, or… get past the fact most of the stories were about humans, which of course had imprisoned monster kind. Mettaton at least liked humans well enough—she was pretty sure it was just the weird storylines he was put off by. Because he simply adored the style and glamour of the heroes and villains alike.

In the sixth episode of ‘Super Senshi Staru-chan’, the season’s villain finally stepped from the shadows to appear in full—revealing a stunning young man with delicate features and gleaming black hair, dressed in form-fitting high-tech armor and knee-high boots. The only hint at his antagonistic role were the small fangs that poked out from his teeth—humans didn’t have sharp teeth, and she’d learned they meant a few things in anime: the character in question was either a cat person, cartoonishly furious, or evil. But there was no doubting his attractiveness, and just as the heroine Staru-chan fell in love with him, Alphys felt a blush rising in her cheeks. She glanced down at Mettaton if only to avoid gazing upon such beauty, and found him propped up on his arms to gaze raptly at the new character.

“Hold. The. Phone.” he uttered, and Alphys scrambled to pause while the beautiful antagonist was onscreen.

“Alphys, we are scrapping the exterior details of Phase Two!” the robot declared. “Effective immediately! I insist on taking inspiration from this… exquisite... fantastic… spectacular example of humanity! He has the look I want!”

Alphys scrambled for some paper and a pencil, and they bent over it together as she quickly sketched a new design, their marathon on hold. Mettaton made a few changes, suggesting wider shoulder guards, and he’d liked the chest shape of the old design so they kept that. And of course the villain’s color scheme needed far more glimmering pink.

“W-well?” Alphys asked, sliding the paper over before clutching her hands nervously.

“Oh… _yes_ ,” he purred, tracing the sketch’s cheek. “This is the body I’ve _truly_ dreamed of!”

Done sketching, Alphys turned the show back on, and they finished the rest of the season. She cheered when the gorgeous villain was won over to good by friendship, vowing his undying loyalty to Staru-chan before they kissed in front of the rising moon and surrounded by pink petals billowing in the wind. It was no ‘Mew Mew Kissy Cutie’, but it had been so long since Alphys had anything new to watch it was refreshing to say the least.

“Thanks, Mettaton,” she said as the DVD ejected from her computer, and the robot scoffed.

“It was nothing, darling. Really. I found it in the garbage.”

Alphys laughed. “I know, but… besides the anime. You’re a good friend. I… I wish I could hang out more. Like old times.”

“Agreed. We’re both very busy people these days,” Mettaton said, clasping his hands. “But… let’s try to not let anniversaries be the only time we see one another, alright? At that rate my body will never be finished, and we simply can’t have that, can we?”

“No, you’re right. I’m excited about it too, really,” Alphys answered, smiling. “It’ll be nice to work on that instead of… instead of my regular work, heh.”

“Of course! I’m the most exciting thing the Underground has seen in ages!” Mettaton declared with a pose, and she laughed. “Well, I’m declaring this day an almost complete success. It’s just missing one thing…”

“Wh-what? What’d we forget?!” Alphys said, in a panic.

“Why… only a dinner cooked by everyone’s favorite killer robot! That—that is what we’re telling everyone I was built to do, correct?”

“Yes,” Alphys laughed, leaning with hands on her knees. “Honestly I forgot about that part. But… dinner sounds nice. Thanks.”

“I will warn you, I didn’t have anything prepared ahead, so this will be a live, in-studio performance!”

Mettaton played an applause track, and she laughed again before getting up to wheel out the portable stove. Mettaton had brought his ingredients with him, which was smart—Alphys didn’t have anything but instant noodles in her fridge. The lab echoed with their friendly chatter as Mettaton cooked, the liveliest it had been… for perhaps longer than even Alphys knew. The meal was a welcome change too, consisting of marinated steaks and garnished with fresh vegetables and little cakes for dessert; she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such fancy fare.

After their meal, Mettaton cleaned up after himself and bid her goodnight. Alphys was sad to see him go, but they both had things to attend to—Mettaton lived for the stage and as much fun as he’d had today, she knew he couldn’t bear to be away long. It was much the same with her and her own work, after all. Anime was her hobby, her escape from stress, but her passion still lay with science.

Despite everything.

No, she’d focus on the good times she’d had today. It really had been too long since she’d given herself a day off, and she doubted anything had changed with her patients—they’d been stable for weeks now. Mettaton’s redesigned body was beautiful, and she couldn’t wait to begin work on it, plus he’d given her a new anime to watch and analyze every second of—her other favorite activity besides science, really. This whole day had done a lot to revitalize her spirits, and she’d hold on to that feeling as long as she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now things get sad :'D Well except for the end bit with Mettaton and Alphys, hopefully that part was bittersweet at most! It was fun writing them actually interacting and imagining what their friendship was like, and include some much-needed fluff. ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Family Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild warning for body horror this chapter? I love me some eldritch horrors but I know not everyone else is a fan, so stay safe!

“… so i said to ‘em, ‘what? who doesn’t like a good ribbing?’” Sans finished, and the bar erupted into raucous laughter. A birdlike monster pounded the counter with a hand, tears in their eyes, while Doggo and Dogamy literally howled with laughter in the corner. Sans wore a satisfied grin and didn’t complain when a patron ordered him another basket of fries. Hey, as long as they were buying.

“You always tell the best stories Sansy,” called a rabbit monster who tended to drink too much and had given him a pet name almost as soon as he’d introduced himself. “You got more, right? Tell us another!”

The other patrons shouted in agreement, and Sans held up his hands.

“alright, alright. this one’s not as good, but here goes. ok, so i’m out in waterfall right? it’s a beautiful day, stars are out, echo flowers whisperin’ like they do—”

The door banged open, interrupting his tale. Sans looked up at who it was and froze.

“SANS! I knew you would be here!” Papyrus shouted, clearly exasperated. “Shouldn’t you be at work?!”

“nah bro, it’s my day off. relax,” Sans explained, waving a hand.

“Yeah kid, relax!” one of the patrons called from the bar. “What are ya, his mom? Lay off!”

“actually he totally is,” Sans retorted instantly. “Isn’t Papyrus cool? he’s my brother and my mom at the same time. a momther, if you will.”

The other customers chuckled, and he got up from his seat to meet his brother at the door.

“we goin’ home, bro?”

“No! We were going to examine the puzzles today, remember?” Papyrus huffed, crossing his arms.

“oh yeah.”

“So come on then!” Papyrus insisted, stomping his foot, and Sans chuckled as he waved to his friends.

“welp, looks like i’ll have to finish that story later pals. grillby, put that stuff on my tab.”

The fire elemental nodded, and amidst disappointed groans and goodbyes the two brothers headed out into the snowy streets and off towards the forest. Papyrus marched ahead as usual, Sans content to follow along at a pace more suited to him. Light filtered in from cracks in the ceiling above them, narrow white shafts piercing the otherwise gloomy cavern. It was small mercies like these that had kept monsters going for so long, hoping to one day see the whole sky instead of tiny threads. It was also the only way they hadn’t totally lost track of time before the invention of atomic clocks.

Not that it stopped monsters like Sans from losing track of time anyway.

“I just don’t see how you can spend a whole day in there!” Papyrus was ranting, and he shrugged.

“grillby’s is my favorite place to hang… bar none,” Sans replied, chuckling at his brother’s exasperated groan. “jokes aside, i got friends there. some of ‘em can use the cheering up, y’know?”

“Mm…” Papyrus hummed. “I suppose it’s not a total waste of time then.”

“nah, makin’ people happy never is, pap. as long as you’re happy doin’ it.”

“Sans, it’s hard to believe but sometimes your advice is actually good,” Papyrus said playfully, wearing a sly look, and Sans couldn’t help but laugh.

“i say nothing but completely true things,” he retorted, which was, as they both knew, blatant falsehood.

Papyrus made to reply, but Sans’ phone rang instead—for the briefest of moments Papyrus obviously thought the ringtone had come from his open jaw—and they paused as he answered it.

“oh hey, ‘sup alph.”

“It’s Doctor Alphys?” Papyrus said excitedly. “Oh! Tell her Papyrus said hi!”

Sans nodded as he listened. “yeah. nah, don’t worry about it. heh, you heard that? yeah. hey paps, alphys says hi back.”

Papyrus beamed, clearly overjoyed, but he waited for Sans to finish.

“yup. i’ll see ya when i’ve got it. yup. ok, see ya.”

“Well? What was she calling about?” Papyrus asked eagerly as Sans put the phone away.

“she needs me to pick some stuff up for her. nothin’ exciting,” he replied with a shrug. “it’s not urgent. why don’t we see about those puzzles, huh?”

Papyrus nodded emphatically, and they continued on. All puzzles operated perfectly, in no small part to Papyrus’ diligence, and Sans hoped it would count towards something the next time he applied to join the Royal Guard for real. Before they headed back into town, Papyrus wanted to make snowmen, so they found a good spot and worked together. Papyrus was getting good at packing the powder into something that actually resembled a figure, and today’s even featured sculpted arms. Sans’ attempts were often little more than basic shapes molded out of the snow—he’d never really been artistic so the crude results of his efforts didn’t surprise him—but Papyrus stepped in to give it a distinctive grin.

“See Sans, now they’re self-portraits!” he declared proudly, standing back to admire their handiwork. “Myself—tall, strong, admired for my cool poses—here, and you—short, lumpy, always smiling—by my side. Artistic perfection!”

“yup,” Sans agreed. “you really captured my winning looks there. good job.”

Satisfied with their work, the two headed home for the day. Papyrus retreated to his room, and while Sans was tempted to do the same, he still had things to do—namely, get the things Alphys had asked him for. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard from her, and he sometimes wondered how her little project was coming along. There’d been that call from Asgore for fallen monsters… and well, it hadn’t been stated what exactly they were wanted for, but Sans could put two and two together.

He made sure he had some gold, then headed to the local shop, running over Alphy’s list in his head. Some soap, a set of new toothbrushes, the biggest bag of dog food he could find. Kind of an eclectic list, but hey, he wasn’t going to judge. At least it was short and easy to remember, and the store was practically guaranteed to carry everything he needed. One checkout later and he had a decently large bottle of soap, a handful of randomly selected toothbrushes, and a bag of dog food as tall as he was and five times as heavy—not that skeletons weighed much, but Sans wasn’t exactly a weightlifter. The shopkeeper watched with concern as he struggled to drag it out the door—and then in an instant it was all sitting in his room. Panting, Sans considered it a job well done and decided he could take it to Alphys’ place some other time. He had a little while before Papyrus would attempt to make dinner for them, and nothing sounded better than relaxing on the sofa with a little TV. Serious things could wait.

It was a few days before Sans felt up to taking the supplies to his friend. But he huffed as he got Alphys’ voicemail for the third time, and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He would’ve liked to let her know he’d be coming with the items she’d requested, and he didn’t really like using shortcuts to break and enter, but he was getting tired of holding this stuff in his room for her—Papyrus was starting to nag. She hadn’t contacted him since that initial call… and there was a lot that didn’t add up, too. If she needed dog food, someone was eating it, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t Alphys. Something had happened in that lab of hers, and if she was in trouble, well, he’d better go check anyway.

The upper lab was dark when he stepped into it, the only light coming faintly from a computer screen in sleep mode and his own eyes. Maybe she was downstairs then. As a general rule he avoided getting involved in things, but he couldn’t leave not knowing if Alphys was okay. Some friend he’d be if he did that—just dropped the stuff off and left. He braced himself for whatever sights might meet him below, gripped the things he intended to deliver, and took a shortcut to the elevator landing. It was dark down there too, but that had been a constant of this level of the building since day one. He didn’t know why it was that way anymore, but the low light didn’t bother him. It would have to get much darker before he’d be concerned.

Setting his delivery down, he headed for the Extractor room first. It looked largely unchanged since the last time he’d visited over a year ago, but he supposed there wasn’t much to change. As he passed through, he glanced over at a few papers Alphys had taped to the wall, and his own handwriting jumped out amongst the printed pages and Alphys’ own rough script. So, she’d held on to those after all.

Sans supposed he wasn’t surprised. They’d ended up being relevant to her work, and there wasn’t anything too sensitive hidden in those symbols—just some additional parameters for the DT extractor and the details of a regimen to test giving DT to monsters. It looked like Alphys had followed in her predecessor’s footsteps after all, and he hoped she’d had more luck than he did. She’d already done a few things differently.

\--

“A perfectly smooth timeline… except for six distinct periods of entanglement.” Gaster’s voice carried well in the large room. Sans was right across the table from him, but the lead scientist couldn’t help but grow excited at the readings laid out between them. “Fascinating. It’s just as I suspected.”

“expecting the timeline to be messed up is a little weird, dad. especially when we don’t even know if time travel is possible,” Sans pointed out, raising a brow. His father made a face.

“Ah. Well. Isn’t this the kind of evidence we would expect if time travel were possible?” he countered, indicating the fuzzy blots on the chart.

“good point.”

“We should take more readings to certain of course, but the implications…” Gaster trailed, looking away sharply. Sans watched him stride off, long coat flapping behind him as he left the room to fetch something.

Sans turned his attention back to the chart, digits tracing the black line until it met the first knot and reversed itself once, twice, a dozen times on. He was amazed they’d been able to read the past like this at all, and Gaster was working on modifying the scanning machine to peer into the future as well. The hope now was if they could observe time, maybe it meant they could manipulate it too with the right tools. All those science fiction stories from his childhood could be real.

Gaster strode back in with a calendar and a notebook in hand and laid both on the table without a word. Grabbing a piece of scratch paper, he began cross-referencing between what he’d brought and the timeline; Sans knew better than to interrupt the doctor when he was so focused and was content to watch him work, scribbling away in black pen and conjuring phantom hands as needed to turn pages or rub ponderously at his temples. Before long, he had a new chart that looked strangely close to the timeline readout, and satisfied with his results he crossed his arms and gave the scratch paper to Sans for his perusal. Sans studied the sheet, his brows lowering as he realized what Gaster was getting at.

“you really think these upheavals in the timeline… were caused by the humans?”

“The intervals match almost too well, don’t they?” Gaster replied. “I knew humans had a unique ability to defy death—a special kind of willpower I deemed Determination when Asgore asked me to study the souls. I was never able to figure out exactly what it could do, but now…”

“you think it lets humans time travel, huh?” Sans finished, and his dad nodded. “heh. kind of makes me wish we had a human to ask. it’d probably make our job easier.”

“Possibly,” Gaster chirped. “Really it’s a shame monsters can’t use Determination. Then we might not need humans at all.”

Sans furrowed his brow. “… we can’t? how do you know that for sure?”

Gaster looked up at him with eyes wide. The little lights flicked away as he thought, darting around his sockets until finally, he spoke. “Because I’ve tested it, of course.”

“… how…?” Sans pressed, lowering his brows.

“… I made clones,” Gaster replied.

“oh my god, dad. you can’t get any more cliché,” Sans said with an incredulous laugh. “that’s kind of really questionable. wow.”

“Yes, well, it was the only way to test it reliably without exposing volunteers repeatedly to a potentially dangerous substance,” Gaster answered, hands twitching. “I didn’t exactly have many options.”

“so? what happened? we don’t have an army of gasters running around.”

“Ha!” Gaster barked with laughter, “thank god. No, the results… well, it was less than promising. Nothing survived.”

“… oh…” Sans uttered. “yeah… i can see how you’d arrive at the conclusion you did.”

“It was work I am glad to have put behind me. Lots of trial and error resulting mostly in error, but at least some knowledge came of it,” Gaster said gravely, then looked up. “Oh dear, I’ve just noticed the time. Papyrus will be wondering where we are.”

Sans glanced up at the clock on the wall, and his own eyes went wide. “yikes. he hates it when we leave him out, y’know.”

“I know, but he’s still so young… I’ll have to see about having him join us more often. I think we’d all be much happier.”

“oh yeah, he’d love that,” Sans agreed. It was true Papyrus was still pretty young and got bored when he and Gaster were doing the more intense calculations, but he was intelligent in his own right and often made suggestions if his family were stuck on something and needed input; Gaster had a deep respect and talent for puzzles, and Papyrus had inherited his appreciation and often approached problems as merely puzzles to be solved. He was even better at keeping their spirits up, and regardless of what he did Sans loved having him nearby.

The two tidied up their workspace for the day and headed home. Sans had to duck when Papyrus greeted them with a flying tackle before they could even get in the door—he’d obviously missed them a lot. The small family soon settled in though; Papyrus caught them up on his day at school, while they told him about the progress with their work over dinner. Before long it was time to turn in or the night; Sans blinked an eye open as he heard his brother flop down on his bed that sat across their shared room. His brows were knit as something occupied his thoughts, and Sans didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was.

“Sans… do you really think humans can time travel?” he asked softly.

“i dunno. the evidence is kinda circumstantial right now,” Sans answered, rolling to lay on his side with one arm propping up his head. “dad thinks they have this special power, but i guess i’m still skeptical about it. i wish i could read about what he did to test it, but seems like it was top-secret royal scientist stuff. i could tell he didn’t want to talk about it.”

“I see…” Papyrus replied softly, fingers fidgeting. Sans narrowed his eyes.

“what’s buggin’ you, bro?”

Papyrus sat, gritting his teeth as he debated what to say. “You and dad are going to try building a time machine, right? You’ve talked about it before.”

“yup. that’s the dream.”

“Um… well… I. Would like… to… be there. When you do it.”

Oh man, Papyrus really was feeling left out. “of course paps, we’d want you to be there. wouldn’t be the same without ya. dad does want you to come by more, it’s just, you’ve still got school and stuff. he’ll work somethin’ out though, and you’ll definitely be there when we crank up that machine.”

A smile returned to his brother’s face. “I’m glad! I can’t let you take all the credit!”

“wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Of course not! A dream without me would be terrible. Goodnight Sans!”

“heh, yeah. g’night bro.”

The next several days passed like they usually did; Sans and Gaster worked diligently on analyzing the data their equipment relayed to them. Sans often found himself wondering about his dad’s previous work, but he’d never been one to pry when it was clear someone was reluctant to share so he kept his thoughts to himself. Besides, there was little point in dwelling on the past when their current work was so exciting, and the energy only grew when they were joined by Papyrus, who livened up the lab like their own ray of sunshine. But he wasn’t totally without complaint on his stays.

“Ugh! Now I know why Sans is so bad at cleaning his room—you’re no better, dad!” he exclaimed one morning, trying to rifle through a stack of papers left on a desk. “If you asked me to find something for you I don’t think I could!”

Gaster looked up from where he was monitoring a computer. “Oh. You know, I hardly notice how messy it can get down here. I’ve been so busy lately I can barely keep up with it.”

“Clearly,” his youngest son scoffed. “I just wanted a notepad to doodle on and I found a quagmire instead!”

Gaster chuckled. “A quagmire indeed. Well, the day’s still young and this analysis will be going on for another eight hours at least. That’s plenty of time to do some tidying up. Sans?”

“chores? this early in the day? are you kidding?” his eldest replied. “nah, i’m joking, i’m getting tired of not being able to find stuff too. where should we start?”

“Hmm,” Gaster pondered, looking around the room. “Well, Papyrus, if you would help me in here—there’s those papers that need to be stacked, and then we should really give everything a thorough sweeping, it’s been too long. My office is a disaster too… I, er… I gave up on using it and have just been putting things in there where they won’t fall until I can get to them. Sans… if you would tackle that…”

“sure, give me the hard stuff,” he answered playfully. “if you don’t hear from me in a couple hours i’ve probably been buried alive under paperwork. you might have to send a rescue party.”

He left the main lab to head down the hall and made a left, passing through the lobby to his dad’s office—labelled very officially with “Dr. Royal Scientist” on the window. There’d been a miscommunication with the decal makers.

The handle made a soft scrape as he twisted it, and he struggled to push the door inwards—there was something obstructing the way, and he had a good idea what. Finally getting it wide enough to slip through, he stepped inside, gingerly trying to avoid crushing anything underfoot. His dad hadn’t been kidding when he’d described it as a disaster.

Gaster was much better about doing his paperwork than actually organizing it, and it showed. There was a real office in here somewhere, complete with desk and filing cabinets, maybe even a potted plant buried under the haphazard pile of folders, folios, and pamphlets. With a short sigh, Sans began by picking folders up from the floor, collecting them under his arm until he’d cleared some space. Really it should’ve been Papyrus doing this—he liked organizing things and easily had the cleanest areas out of the three of them back home. But the main areas of the lab needed his meticulous nature far more, and down here, Sans could quietly work at his own pace.

He’d started out sorting things alphabetically, but with some files as thick as his hand, constantly reshuffling everything was a chore by itself and there wasn’t enough room for twenty-six different piles. So he resorted to just stacking everything and worrying about sorting them later, when he might actually have space for the various subjects his father had studied in his lengthy career. There were the topics one would expect: physics, electricity, chemistry, magical theory—and then things that might seem eclectic if one was unfamiliar with Gaster’s attitude towards research. Tucked between hefty discussions of the finer points of green magic there’d be patents for a new kind of spoon. A geological survey from fifty years ago was buried under quizzes about the most popular kinds of cartoons. Papers cataloguing what had been gathered about human history were wedged in with designs for blenders. There was even the designs for the first camera buried in there—that had been over a hundred years ago, surely Gaster could have found the time to sort that over his long, illustrious career? And people got on _him_ for being lazy….

After what felt like ages, Sans stepped back to assess his work. He’d actually done it—the desk was covered in eight stacks of folders, and a few more were on the floor. He hadn’t gone through the cabinet yet but that should still be fairly neat—he was certain no one had touched it in at least a decade. But the most relieving thing Sans discovered was that there was a chair in here, and he could finally sit down.

“Slacking off already?” Gaster’s voice rang out, and Sans nearly fell out of his seat. He scrambled to stand, but soft laughter reached his ears. “No, no, relax, I’m taking a break too.”

“i’m shocked,” Sans replied, turning to face his dad, who was leaning on the doorframe. “and most of these aren’t even about electricity.”

Gaster snorted at the pun. “I forget what’s even in here, but it looks good so far. The main lab’s nearly finished, I’m thinking it should only be a couple more hours at most. Come up and join us when you’re done and we’ll get dinner.”

“sure thing.”

Gaster could have been mistaken for a shadow as he slipped quietly away, leaving him alone once more. Sans leaned back in the chair for a little while longer, enjoying the quiet and chuckling as he imagined his brother helping with all the enthusiasm he put into anything. Well, if he wanted to be done anytime soon he’d better get back at it. Gaster may have been teasing earlier, but he really would be in for it if he didn’t get things finished up. Heaving a sigh, Sans slid the first stack over and began.

It took a while, but with everything already sorted once, doing them a second time wasn’t so bad. Where the previous sorting had revealed the diversity of Gaster’s interests, it was this iteration that revealed what he really devoted most of his time to—the piles for physics and magical theory were considerably higher than those for inventions or social studies. The smallest pile was things Sans had set aside to read for himself later—mostly his dad’s work on particle physics. Once everything on the desk and floor had been organized, he turned his attention to the filing cabinet.

The first drawer held nothing but employee records dating as far back as the original lineup of engineers who worked on the Core, with Gaster at the helm. There were some names he recognized in there—colleagues Gaster checked in with at the New Home labs regularly and still collaborated with; Sans considered them friends too. But their folders were already organized alphabetically, and Sans wasn’t about to waste time sorting things that didn’t need to be. He moved to the next drawer, which hadn’t been opened in so long it ground out with a shrieking squeal.

Inside he found reports on things a little more serious than employee records—documents on the barrier, weapons tests, and containment fields and disaster protocols for the Core’s unstable energies. Nothing he wouldn’t expect of the Royal Scientist, though the thought his dad had made weapons was a bit disquieting; sure everyone knew that as soon as the barrier was broken, they would destroy humanity, but if he was perfectly honest Sans hoped it never came to war. His fingers flicked through one of the weapons files and he grimaced; he knew magical techniques could be passed on genetically, but it was strange to finally know the true nature of the special attack. Sans had only summoned his in secret after that first disastrous encounter with his brother’s, curious about the unusual attack; Gaster never had found out either of his children could wield the deadly blasters. At least Sans could laugh at the name—had Asgore picked it?

These folders were also nicely arranged so he didn’t linger on them further. The next drawer opened without protest and held several thick files. None of them were labeled except the first, which only said ‘Determination’ in Gaster’s distinctive handwriting. Curiosity finally got the better of him, and he pulled out the first file to start reading.

“Sans, is everything alright? We’re waiting on you,” Gaster asked, walking in just as he closed the drawer.

“yeah, sorry, got distracted. i’m done though,” Sans answered tersely, joints obviously stiff as he stood. “what’s for dinner?”

“Haven’t gotten there yet,” Gaster replied with a smile, “but Papyrus insists we spend not a minute longer down here—he claims we need some fresh air.”

“heh. not a bad idea,” Sans said, putting his hands in his pockets and following his father out the door to the elevator. “i started to forget there was a world outside this office.”

“It was only—well, it was about eight hours after all,” Gaster conceded. “Plenty of time to lose track of.”

“yup.”

They reunited with Papyrus upstairs and headed home for the night, passing through the quieter back streets of New Home; Gaster being the Royal Scientist meant they were likely to be stopped by other pedestrians on the main roads, and though none of the skeletons really minded the attention it could be a little much after a long day at work. Not that these back alleys were silent—Sans listened as his brother eagerly discussed dinner options with their father, and the two eventually decided on stew.

They arrived at the modest house they called their own, located in a neighborhood not far from the castle; he could have afforded something roomier, but Gaster had always been one to spend his salary on his scientific endeavors rather than elaborate architecture or luxury. Even so, it had served them all well over the years—the small front yard carpeted with subterranean mosses the site of the brothers’ games as kids, a living room often full of voices that shared warm stories and intense discussions alike, even a small basement lab where Gaster could work should an idea strike him. The simple structure had always been a welcome sight after a long day at work or school, and the little family was eager to retreat inside and wind down.

Sans was quiet over dinner, and headed to his room after they’d cleaned up. He pretended to sleep when Papyrus came in later, and heard him hover nearby before getting ready for bed himself. His sheets rustled, and there was another heavy pause.

“Sans… you’ve been very quiet tonight. As your brother, it is my duty to ask… are you okay?” he finally said, and there were soft scraping sounds as his hands fidgeted, waiting for a reply.

Sans declined to answer.

He feigned illness the next day. Gaster didn’t seem entirely convinced, but when it came to Sans’ health he wasn’t one to take chances and let him stay home. Sans saw his dad and brother off, then sat on the couch for a while, mulling over what he was going to do. At the moment, Gaster would be reviewing the readings they’d collected yesterday, but in a few hours he’d head off to the Core to check in with the team there—that would be his best chance. Papyrus was in school, and if he was successful he wouldn’t hear about any of this.

Anxiety buzzed in his soul, making him antsy; the couch saw him take increasingly odd positions as he tried to get comfortable on it, to no avail. Sans preferred being the most laid-back guy in the room, but knowing what he’d probably do and see today wasn’t lending itself to his reputation. He’d have to pass through the Core to get to it, but that probably wouldn’t be too hard—he could just take the elevator straight through, while his dad liked to scour every corner of the immense facility he’d built to make sure everything was in order. Still, the mere idea of running into him set him on edge.

Sans heaved a sigh, and slid from where he’d been sitting upside-down to get going. It was as good a time as any now, so he grabbed his lab badge and headed out. With some rough math he figured the chances of crossing paths with Gaster were fairly small, and was relieved his prediction held true; he stepped out into the apartment lobby without even seeing any Core maintenance workers. With one more elevator ride the main lab rose before him, its pale gray walls tinted rose in the light of glowing lava. The door beeped as he was granted access, and he was glad computers didn’t care whether you were supposed to be there or not.

He headed downstairs, intruding on the dim quiet of the empty landing and studied it in a way that had never occurred to him before. In front of him, he could see the door to his dad’s freshly cleaned office, and he scowled but shook his head, turning away to continue down the hall. He headed through the labs where they worked to unlock the secrets of magic and science alike, but that wasn’t what he’d be doing today, no. Sans continued down the hall that led to the bathroom until he came to a dead end, glaring as he scrutinized it. No one would think to pay it much attention—it was as gray and nondescript as any other wall in the facility. Except why would a hall that only needed to reach the bathroom extend beyond it?

It was harder to use blue magic on something without a soul, but not impossible. Sans withdrew his hand from his pocket and let his magic flow through him. It wove and danced invisibly along his hand, buzzing like cold electricity between his digits as he focused. Papyrus was better at casting without using any gestures, but Sans had always found it helped him squeeze a little more power and control out of his techniques and he wanted his efforts today to be as effective as possible. He pulled down, and the wall in front of him shuddered—then he yanked up, and the segment scraped in protest as it was dragged out of sight. Sans was left standing before a dark hallway that looked like it could extend forever.

His own eye sockets dark and empty, he set off down the passage. The air was stale here, tinted with a slight mildewy smell that was mercifully easy to ignore. Running a hand along the wall for guidance, he found a corner. The light sprung back to his eyes, providing just enough to see by and illuminating a switch on the wall—taking a moment to brace himself, he flipped it, and the whole room was revealed.

It looked no different from the rest of the lab in terms of style or materials, but there was nothing like the massive DT Extractor anywhere else in the Underground. The centerpiece of the room, it commanded his attention instantly. He’d learned about it just days ago, and the dry technical jargon his father had used to describe form and function still echoed in his head—but seeing it made it real.

Sans approached it slowly, taking in every detail. He couldn’t see the actual extraction mechanism, but he knew it was tucked beneath the bone magic scaffold, the vacuum tubing spiraling from under it the only outward indication it existed. His gaze trailed along the strange skull-like structure, unsurprised it was so familiar to him. The long, low snout, the domed cranium, the split along the nasals that ran past the orbits and almost to the sagittal crest—it vaguely resembled the form of his special attack, and he knew this resemblance was no coincidence.

Seeing the Extractor wasn’t his only goal here, and he turned back to open the other false wall he knew existed in the lab. He’d skipped it earlier, figuring what was left behind would depend on the Extractor’s state. He turned to the innocuous wall in the corner of the lobby, knowing what lay ahead but still not sure if he was ready to see it. He tried not to shiver as he pulled it open; in a way, he almost felt sick for real—his magic pulsed erratically, leaving him feeling dizzy and breathless. Coming to another darkened room, he snapped the lights on, and found stained floors, a few scattered notes, and what evidence remained of his father’s attempts to give Determination to monsters.

A lone refrigerator stood in the center of the room, and he staggered over to it. Falling against it, he slid down to sit with knees almost to his chest and crushing tightness in his soul. He stared up at the wall with its inset tubing and recessed bays, idly tracing their paths with darkened eyes. For a moment he was tempted to go looking for the glass canisters that had once occupied those slots, but no, just seeing this was confirmation enough. He could almost picture Gaster leaning over the tubes, his face cast in shadows as he studied their contents intently and scribbled his observations on a notepad. Machinery humming in the background, vials of Determination emitting their soft red glow…. Of course it was all empty now, and had been since… well…

How old was Papyrus again?

Sans’ fists matched the tightness in his ribs. It was all so obvious—how had he not put things together the moment Gaster had admitted to testing on clones? Papyrus’ perfect stats, his own atrocious ones; the clinical distance that would creep into their father’s words if he got to talking about them at length had always struck Sans as odd, but it now had a context. He didn’t doubt that Gaster loved them—monsters couldn’t live properly if they weren’t cared for.

But he and his brother were just experiments, and Gaster loved his work.

Maybe as royal scientist he’d thought he was above ethics if ignoring them led to freedom, or perhaps he’d accepted there were lines he’d had no choice but to cross. At the very least, it had been obvious in his research notes that curiosity had gotten the better of him, which wasn’t surprising either. It was an unrelenting drive that led him to poor decisions as it was—all too often there’d been an unexpected explosion as he tested chemical formulas, or those times when he’d worked on a theory for weeks straight fueled by little more than manic energy and caffeine. But at least no one had been wronged or gotten hurt, not seriously. These experiments…

Gaster had discovered how to fashion and duplicate a facsimile of a monster soul out of raw magic. After all, even bullets could seem to have a will of their own, so surely manufacturing something at least close to having a soul would be a reasonable way to test the effects of Determination. The first trials hadn’t lasted more than a few minutes, their energy dissipating despite the scientist’s best efforts. He tweaked the variables, and tried again. And again. And again, dozens of trials that spanned nearly a decade until he finally had something stable enough to inject Determination into and observe for a useful amount of time.

But these too disintegrated.

Gaster had tried until for lack of anything else to try, he added a little of his own soul magic to one of the clones as a test. Unlike all the others that had come before it, it lived, but with such dismal readings he couldn’t be sure for how long. He took it home to observe for whatever time it had in this world; Gaster’s patience with his experiments was almost as famous as anything else about him. He didn’t name names in his reports, but Sans knew exactly what had become of it.

There was a foreign substance in his bones, laced between the calcium and carbon and magic that made him. He was part of something he’d never had the chance to agree to, kept and protected because he might provide some insight into the nature of souls. So much for that. It was all right there in the reports—everything he was, the raw measure of his soul, laid out in impersonal data points that added up to something small and weak. There were no signs the DT had done anything for him—nothing for his strength, nothing for his health. At least Gaster never really counted anything as a failure, always finding something he could take away even when the results weren’t what he’d hoped. Sans didn’t want to think about how things might’ve gone if he did. Failed copies had simply been discarded.

Despite his continued failures, Gaster hadn’t stopped the trials. Not ready to raise a study sample’s worth of a family, he’d returned to the first technique and squeezed everything he could out of it. Tweaking energy levels here, manipulating magical fields there, he managed to extend the lives of his prototyped souls to almost a month before he’d find them crumbling in their tubes and have to start anew. It sounded exhausting, but Gaster seemed to have a determination all his own, fueled by unyielding curiosity and unhindered by any real consequences. Until every variable had been tested, there was still a chance his idea would pay off. In some ways it did—he’d learned a lot about what could affect a monster’s strength and health.

But after years of apparent work but no results, Asgore had grown suspicious. He didn’t doubt that Gaster was working on something, but the lack of detailed reports had finally struck him as odd. With the threat of investigation looming, Gaster had rushed to run one final round of tests, and with everything he’d discovered, he gave one last copy a bit of proper soul magic. After all, repeating results were a vital part of science.

And that was how Sans gained a brother. At least Gaster had learned how to give him decent stats, and there was still no sign Determination had any effects on him, good or bad. But Papyrus could never know any of this. It would shatter his world, any trust he had for it, Sans was sure of it—and he couldn’t do that to him.

The tension that had filled Sans’ limbs before had given way to a numb looseness, and he struggled to coordinate them so he could rise from the stained floor—sticky from samples Gaster had dropped once, he knew now. But there was anger, a seething anger that burned hotly in his bones and left him cold. Anger that Gaster had tested this substance on what had become his children. Anger that for all the prototypes Gaster had made, only decay and waste had befallen them, and he’d continued without respect for what he’d created. Anger that he’d been used, was still being used to further the scientist’s work now, and so was Papyrus. It gave him just enough strength to rise from the floor and stalk out of the room where he’d been made.

Sans left the lab and its tainted past behind, covering any signs he’d been there and lowering the panel doors back into place. He thought about avoiding home—part of him definitely never wanted to see Gaster again—but Papyrus would be back from school soon and would be worried if he wasn’t there after saying he’d been sick. He took his time walking though, any urgency or concern about secrecy from his earlier walk to the lab lost. His skull swirled with thoughts, but had anyone asked he wouldn’t have been able to articulate any of them, and not just because it was a terrible secret. There was just too much to process.

He’d been home and sunk into the couch for maybe five minutes when Papyrus clattered in, backpack swinging loosely from his arm, his neon mismatched outfit almost as loud as his voice as he announced his return. But then he noticed Sans was right there on the couch, was (as far as he knew) sick, and realized his mistake.

“Oh, sorry brother! You look really tired,” he said, setting his backpack down and sitting next to him on the couch. “Are you feeling any better?”

Sans patted his brother’s hand. “i’m always better with you around.”

“No! Flattery won’t work on me!” Papyrus rebuffed, planting his other hand on his hip. “Tell me the truth!”

Ha. Well, that was never happening. “fine, fine. it was nice to rest for a bit, but i dunno if i’ll be ready to go back to work tomorrow. i’m still feelin’ pretty out of sorts.”

Papyrus squinted at him in scrutiny. “Dad won’t be happy, but I suppose it can’t be helped. Maybe I’ll finally get to be chief lab assistant!”

“heh, that’d be pretty cool,” Sans said, voice low. Papyrus gave him a quizzical look, and he hurried to cover. “sorry, ‘m tired. hard to be enthusiastic when you’re sick, y’know?”

“Well, not personally,” Papyrus admitted with a slight smile. “I’m always enthusiastic!”

Sans chuckled, and pulled him over with one arm. “yup, and don’t you ever lose it. anyway, i think i’m gonna take a nap, but don’t worry about wakin’ me up if ya need something, ok?”

“Okay. You do the same,” his brother asserted before vaulting up to grab his homework and get started.

Sans watched him for a bit, then dragged himself up to retreat to his room. While he wasn’t really sick, he certainly didn’t feel like doing anything but lie in bed. Who knew learning about unethical research was so exhausting? And if it’d happened in the past, wasn’t there still a chance Gaster would do something like that again? He’d escaped any consequences, and from what he’d read Sans was under the impression he hadn’t pursued making artificial souls again mainly because he and his brother hadn’t shown any promise after all. There were some hints he’d also tested Determination on a small group of monsters, but the details of that were missing. What else was he hiding?

Despite how tired he was, Sans couldn’t sleep. He pretended to when Papyrus came in to say dinner was ready, and then again when his brother was headed to bed himself. But rest eluded him, and sometime after midnight he got up, a mixture of boredom and unease prompting him to move to the living room. He pulled a book from the shelf—one of his favorites, a human book about the stars and constellations, and though he had it nearly memorized the descriptions and myths were comforting familiarity when his head was so full of doubt and noise.

A real noise interrupted the tale of Orion, and Sans looked up to see Papyrus standing nervously a few feet away.

“oh hey paps. what’s up?”

“Well. You, for one,” the youngster retorted, wearing a wry smile, and Sans couldn’t help but chuckle. “But I can’t help but feel that… something is up with you.”

“nah, i’m—”

“Sans, please. You… you’ve been off ever since we cleaned with dad a couple days ago. Did you hurt yourself, maybe?”

Sans felt magic brush against him as his brother checked on his health. Papyrus frowned as he found nothing out of the ordinary, and Sans was secretly relieved even if his brother was unhappy at the moment. He didn’t want to think about how he might react if he found the real reason he’d not been himself the last couple days.

“told ya, ‘m fine. well, aside from being sick,” he lied.

Papyrus huffed. “Somehow I find that hard to believe. You don’t seem sick to me. Instead, you seem… troubled. As a devoted and observant brother, I know you make more jokes than usual when you’re sick. You get quiet and less jokey when you’re thinking or worried, and… it’s been the latter. Therefore, given the evidence, the only conclusion I can arrive to…”

Sans closed the book and sighed as he ran his hand over his temple. Of course Papyrus would see right through him. His mind raced, trying to come up with something believable. Maybe he could say something close to the truth…?

“heh, ok, ya got me. i found some of dad’s old research and… i guess it rattled me.”

“Dad? But he’s only ever helped monsters,” Papyrus said incredulously, coming over to sit with his brother. “What could be that bad?”

“it was… weapons. really powerful ones. i know we’re supposed to go to war with humanity when we finally get out, but… you know…”

Papyrus nodded solemnly. “… I guess I forget about that part of dad’s job. He would never hurt anyone… but I suppose King Asgore might ask him for something like that. You understand the energetics, so I can only imagine how powerful they must be if they’ve shaken you.”

“yeah. dad sure knows how to use magic in all kinds of ways,” Sans agreed with a sigh. So far, Papyrus seemed to have bought what he’d said. It was true Gaster had made weapons that were devastating in the hands of those who wielded them, and Sans _was_ mildly concerned considering so far that had been children. But as long as it masked his true worries, it would work for now.

After that night, Papyrus didn’t ask him about it again, and Sans was able to distance himself enough to go back to working with Gaster after a few more days of resting at home. But those other sections of the lab and what had happened within hung over him like a specter, and he was grateful Gaster was getting wrapped up in the research into time travel because he wasn’t as observant of his assistant’s behavior. Sans was a little worried he’d get carried away and do something questionable… but now he’d have someone to answer to.

And it wasn’t Asgore.

\--

Sans sighed. No, Alphys hadn’t quite done anything close to what Gaster had, but in the end, he doubted her results would be much different. Though her setup was similar, certain things hadn’t even occurred to her to try, and in his opinion that was for the better. Some part of him hoped she would give up soon, but without getting any reply from her he feared it was already too late.

He turned to head further on to check on the power controls for that section of the lab, but as he headed for it a noise caught his attention. A gurgle rose from one of the sinks, and he narrowed his eyes at it. Gross. The noise continued, and he decided the controls weren’t worth checking out and turned to go; if Alphys was in there and hadn’t found him yet, she was probably in the other sections of the lab. He spun on his heel and made to walk away.

“”

Sans froze. What kind of voice was that? Broken, fragmented, cascading in too many layers to form a definite shape. The most he could make of it was a disjointed electronic screech, the sort of noise no monster could make unless they used magic to speak. It was so close to…

Trying to get his breathing under control, he shut his eyes. There was a heavy electrical smell in the air now, reminding him of so much—so much—no, he had to focus. No matter what it was, he had to reserve judgement until he’d actually learned something about what was going on. A damp slap on the floor behind him didn’t help matters, but at least he knew something was really there. Turning around, he opened his eyes.

A pale grayish mass about half as tall as he was quivered on the floor, its bulbous, slick flesh pulsing. Thin tendrils reached out occasionally to steady it, and a segmented tail curled underneath. Contrasting its whitish body were black oozing pits; in some of the rounder ones, white dots of light flickered and darted around to scan the room, but most focused on him, watching.

The little lights matched what normally danced in his own sockets a little too well.

“” the thing spoke again. Trying to understand it gave him a splitting headache—it was so close to being something he could parse, but it was just too many things at once and blocked its own voice out. Only a garbled mess remained.

“h-hey… there…” Sans finally uttered. He felt distant, like none of this was really happening.

He knew exactly what this being was. There were no other monsters this could be, nothing else it could have come from—even if Alphys had tried giving monsters Determination. The experiment logs all those years ago had only said the failed experiments had been disposed of, not how. Apparently it hadn’t been thorough. And they must not have been truly dead after all.

“looks… looks like a real get-together,” he managed to say, resorting to humor. A shudder ran through him as he tried not to picture that sort of existence. “h-heh, hope you’re having fun…”

Static burst from his pocket, and he fumbled for his phone. There were voices…?

“hello?”

“Hello,” the voice echoed back. Something about the receiver was filtering it, making it comprehensible. Maybe computers had a way of reading it.

“can—can i help you guys with something?” Sans ventured, still dazed.

“Why don’t you come join the fun?” the voice replied innocently enough.

“uh, heh, i’d love to but, i-i kinda got other plans,” he answered nervously, mind racing now. He didn’t want to know what joining them entailed.

“That’s a shame,” the thing replied, and it sagged a bit. “Lorem ipsum docet, I believe the saying goes.”

Sans felt something cold grip him, his soul twisting in painful recognition. He’d read that exact phrase in a report, one of the later ones when too much work with no reward had begun taking its toll. He could only guess how this being knew it, but considering what had happened, well, there were pieces shattered everywhere.

He looked back at the creature and found it sliding back to the sink, morphing viscously in a way that made his own bones feel malleable, and he shuddered again; in some ways the sound of rattling was comforting—he was solid, he was real. For a while he stood simply collecting himself, a hand covering the lower half of his face. Then he slowly blinked, rubbed his chin, and gave a long sigh before looking up to where the creature had retreated.

“… i’m sorry.”

Reality snapped around him, and he was back at the main hub where he’d dropped off the goods Alphys had wanted. Another large white mass was there, something vaguely canine sniffing at the bag of dog food with a wide orifice it had for a face. It noticed his sudden presence and tilted its head curiously before scrabbling over on legs that zig-zagged in all the wrong ways. It leaned in much too close—close enough for Sans to feel damp, hot breath brush over him—and considering dogs’ history with bones, well…

There were footsteps in the hall, and the mass of molten fur fled, exploding into dozens of tiny pieces that dispersed into the air. Sans shook, and did his best to regain his composure before the owner of those feet entered the room. Sure enough it was Alphys, looking harried and sad with dark circles under her eyes and stains on her lab coat. She glanced up and jumped with a squeak, clearly not expecting to see anyone else down here.

“Oh! Sans, it’s… it’s just you. U-um… are you alright? You, uh, your eyes…” she stuttered, adjusting her own glasses, and he blinked, summoning his pupils back. He hadn’t even realized they were out.

“sorry to barge in. i tried calling you,” he explained, stepping away from the doorway.

“O-oh, I was probably talking with Asgore when you called,” Alphys explained. “I think being so close to the barrier messes with phone signals or something.”

“could be.”

“S-so, you got the stuff. Thank you so much,” she continued, walking over to inspect the items he’d brought. “I hate to be a burden, b-but you’ll probably have to get them again in a week or two, heh… Oh! Here, I’ll pay you back…”

“hey, no problem,” he answered with a shrug, taking the gold Alphys had offered him. “seems like you could use the help. you don’t look so good yourself.”

“I-I… I’ve just had a lot going on. Th-the experiment… isn’t going well.”

“… i told ya you could stop any time if you didn’t like what was going on,” Sans said in a low voice. “asgore might be the king but it doesn’t mean you have to do everything he wants you to. if people have been hurt…”

Alphys looked at her feet and wrung her claws, then finally spoke. “Sans… I… I’m really grateful for all your help… b-but… please don’t come down here again.”

Sans was taken aback. After a moment, he sighed, and rubbed the side of his skull. “ok alph… sure thing. i’ll see ya around, ok?”

“S-sure,” Alphys agreed, and he headed for the elevator.

The ride up was silent, and he stepped out into the frigid air of Snowdin. A crust of ice crunched under his feet as he walked, the only sound on the empty road. Apparently it was too cold even for those with natural fur coats; the cold could never be dangerous for him like other monsters, but Sans certainly preferred being warm, and his house was a welcome sight after the day he’d had. Nothing—not the best blanket nor his favorite burger joint—warmed his heart faster than the person he found sitting on the couch engaged in a new cooking show.

“Ah! Sans! You’ve returned,” Papyrus said when he noticed him come in. “How’d whatever you were doing go?”

“it sure went,” Sans replied, falling gratefully into the couch. “what’d you do?”

“I worked on my puzzles as usual, and I think I finally figured out the solution to yesterday’s crossword. I won’t let them get the best of me yet!”

“that’s the spirit bro, i knew you’d get it,” Sans said brightly. Even the smallest of his brother’s achievements could cheer him up. “anything else happen?”

“No. I suppose we should start dinner soon. Mettaton made a quiche and it looked so enticing I might be willing to cede the kitchen to you if you’ll make one.”

“heh, you sure about that? it’s been a while,” Sans said playfully. “i don’t know if i remember how to use the stove.”

“Oh come on! I know you can do it Sans, I’ll even help!”

That was good enough for Sans. It was a little early to start cooking yet, and he wasn’t sure they had all the ingredients on hand, but he was looking forward to eating at home for once. Some nights he simply didn’t have the strength to cook, and Papyrus’ efforts could be… unappetizing, though he always at least tried them so he wouldn’t get discouraged, but it meant going to Grillby’s for most meals more often than not these days.  Making something together with the person who mattered the most to him in the world was exactly what he needed after all he’d seen, heard, and remembered that afternoon.

It wasn’t until after he’d read Papyrus his bedtime story and retreated to his room for the night that Sans thought any more about what Alphys might be up to. He hated to admit part of him was relieved she didn’t want him coming to the basement labs anymore—they brought up so many things he’d tried to put behind him as it was, and for all their familiarity he no longer felt comfortable walking those halls. But on the other hand, he was worried about what Alphys had done. At least she hadn’t been hurt like he’d feared, but something had clearly gone wrong. He hoped whatever she did next went well, if only for her sake.

\--

Alphys sighed, and rubbed her eyes for what was probably the tenth time this last hour. Tired as she was and drained from the conversation with Asgore, she had to keep going. This was the only other thing she could think of to do—it was barely a note in the journal the king had given her so long ago, scribbled haphazardly in the margins. It was a good thought though, especially after what had happened to her poor test subjects.

Things had gone downhill rapidly. This was exactly what Sans had warned her about, and she’d followed through with it anyway. There’d been a brief, shining moment of hope—but that had all too quickly descended into horror, and she knew no one would ever forgive her. No one would even talk to her if they knew what she’d done, so no one could ever find out. No one could go home.

Maybe this whole fiasco was divine punishment for lying about Mettaton. She’d counted on the position just being a breeze, getting to work on what she wanted and have a chance at getting close to Asgore—how stupid could she be?! Of course everything would go wrong… she deserved it for being a fraud.

If this last test worked, she might not be totally repulsive, at least. She cast her eyes over the dozens of golden flowers Asgore had entrusted her with and heaved another sigh. At least plants didn’t have souls or nerves, and were mostly physical matter—the other true difference between monsters and humans and what had led to the disaster she was now keeping in her basement. The average amount of Determination in a human was simply too much for a monster’s body to bear, and she’d injected that much and more in her desperation for results. Some scientist she was.

These plants might be the last bit of hope she could offer.

She readied a syringe, a task she hated herself for being so practiced at anymore, and selected the first flower. There was one Asgore had told her was unusually long-lived for a flower, and she was saving it as a sort of backup. If the tests went well, she’d rather not use something special for a vessel, but if nothing else worked, then nothing else would be more fitting.

Of course she’d probably find a way to mess this up too.

She wasn’t surprised when she checked in on the experiment and found nothing had happened with any of the regular flowers.

And she supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised when nothing happened with the special flower either. She took down her disappointing results, and sent it back to its rightful place where it could be tended to properly. At least one thing would be free of this lab. She put her things away for the night and headed to bed, not sure what she would tell the king.

That morning, Asgore found a new flower in his garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, finally, major headcanon time! Things start to pick up at last; the next chapter is going to be another fun one, and once that's posted next week that'll be it of all the chapters I've had written beforehand. Thanks for reading this so far, and as always, comments are welcome and encouraged!


	8. A Rise and Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I should warn for major character death? Needless to say, it isn't permanent.
> 
> All thanks to your best friend.

 

No one could have told him how _big_ the world was. His parents knew and had tried to explain it to him, but they could only speak of it with wistful sadness in their eyes. His adopted sibling—his best friend—knew. They wanted him to see it too, and he could tell they missed at least some of what they’d left behind. Home really was small when you got to know it.

The wind rifled through his fur, and he could have stood on that mountain forever just soaking in the sunlight, gazing in awe at the blue sky above—but that would be selfish. All of monster kind would get to see this too once they completed their mission. His best friend had gravely hurt themselves just for this, and even now their impatience sung above the roar of power surging through his soul. He looked down at the small body in his shared arms, but was sad for only a moment. They’d be together forever now, and nothing could get in their way.

The lush forest whipped by as they flew, their feet barely grazing brush that crowded the gaps between the trees. Birds startled out of the way, and they passed a small group of animals that looked vaguely like him grazing in a quiet glade. The surface! He could have shouted with joy, and he sensed a gentle bemusement from his friend. They were more focused on finding their goal, the village in the valley below, and didn’t have time for wondering at things they’d seen before.

They cleared the wooded foothills, and he could have gasped in amazement again. Where everything had been green, it was yellow. No… it was gold. More gold than he could have imagined spread out before him on rolling hills under a cyan sky dappled with clouds, bounded by slate mountains on both sides and the sun sliding westward above. It was light, and freedom, and beauty, and he couldn’t imagine a better place to lay his friend’s body to rest.

His best friend wanted to get closer to the village, so they drifted on over the fragrant fields until they found a knoll that overlooked the homely buildings below. They knelt to lay the body on its golden bed, but there were panicked shouts. He looked up to see a crowd of humans gathering at the fringe of their settlement with weapons in hand.

His best friend wanted them all dead.

This wasn’t what they’d meant when they said they would get the souls, it couldn’t be! They only needed six more, but wiping the whole village out—he knew they held no love for their own kind but that wasn’t the plan, that was too much, that wasn’t fair! He didn’t want to hurt these people any more, he couldn’t let his best friend destroy them all. Was this really what they’d wanted all along?!

Mind reeling, he wasn’t ready for the first blows the humans launched against them. He felt his fangs bare, and a terrible laugh tore from his throat, but it was his best friend that reveled in the humans’ terrified faces as their strikes did nothing lasting. But the villagers wouldn’t give up, even in the face of a god.

His best friend was furious with him. They may have had the power and determination that had granted this form and incredible strength, but he was the one who knew how to use magic, and how to hold it back. He refused to allow these humans to be destroyed the way his friend wanted to, but they weren't backing down, insistent that if they didn’t strike now, monster kind would be trapped forever and it would all be his fault. Too busy fighting one another, the two didn’t notice their stats had dropped. What should have been infinite defense that could absorb any assault dwindled.

He collapsed, gasping, and his best friend screamed within him to get up and retaliate.

_In this world, it’s kill or be killed._

That couldn’t be right, could it? A searing pain in his chest didn’t let him dwell on it. His strength was draining faster than their fused souls could produce it. They had to get back home, and leave this disastrous plan behind or else they both would—

His best friend relented at last. He fled, picking up their withered body and cradling it as he flew on leaking power. The mountain loomed ahead, and he was glad for it. He didn’t want to destroy the barrier anymore, he just wanted to see his parents again, he wanted to live. The entrance appeared before them, dark and enclosed, and the barrier accepted their passage. He stumbled to the floor, red staining his steps as he staggered into the throne room. His father was there, barring onlookers from crowding in; they all grew still and silent as their future prince entered on halting steps, dripping from his wounds and tears staining his face. His father rushed to catch him as he fell, but even the king of the monsters couldn’t move fast enough.

His best friend’s bitter frustration mixed with his sorrow as he hit the ground, and the world crumbled to dust.

\--

He remembered the crushing sensation of his soul folding in on itself, and darkness. So how was he here, in the light, surrounded by flowers? Was this the afterlife? It didn’t make any sense. He turned to look around, and saw his father’s gilded throne looming nearby. It looked much bigger than he remembered. He made to investigate, but something held him down. He tried to push away, but—wait, where were his arms? Where were his legs? _Where was his body?!_

He screamed.

He screamed and cried until over choking sobs, he finally heard heavy footsteps. He whirled, and there was his dad, looking no older than… the last time they’d seen each other. He looked worried—he must’ve heard him crying. He was so glad to see him, he’d know what to do. He explained what he remembered, and it was a long time before the king smiled again and promised they could live together just like before until he figured out what had happened.

As it turned out, his dad never did find anything about what had happed or why, and he couldn’t help but resent him a bit for it. He was supposed to be the king, he’d lived ages, why couldn’t he do something? And where he’d once had glowing adoration and warmth for him, there was now nothing. It was strange, but he tried not to worry about it. Maybe he just hadn’t figured out how flowers felt emotions. He’d press on even though his father’s doting was getting annoying, and see what happened. His dad seemed happy, so he should be too right?

But the numbness never went away. No matter what he and his father did together, he couldn’t feel anything like the close, loving bond he knew they’d once had. Well, maybe it was just his dad. He’d learned how to move in his time here in the garden, and he was ready for a change of scenery. He wasn’t sure exactly how long it had been since he’d fallen, but a lot had changed and he was eager to see everything his dad had described to him.

There was the Core, which was what had let the flowers in the garden really thrive; he’d thought it was sunlight streaming in but it was all electrical lighting mounted in the ceiling, and anything that mimicked the sun down here was something to behold. No wonder so many monsters liked visiting the king—it was the closest many of them would get to seeing the surface. There was a glitzy hotel run by the Underground’s first TV star—he wasn’t sure what TV was, but it sounded amusing. He’d have to look into it and see what the fuss was about. Beyond that, Waterfall didn’t sound too different, and Snowdin didn’t seem to have anything new either. He’d still see what had changed, since he was headed that way anyway.

His real goal was to find his mother. He’d been surprised—though not nearly as sad as he thought he should have been—when his dad had told him she’d left. They’d loved each other so much, were such a great team! Mom came up with all the state programs and helped keep dad’s ideas from running away from him; she ensured the business side of the kingdom was taken care of while he kept their people strong, happy, and hopeful. But… he knew how she felt about humans who fell down, and that there were six who had fallen so far—and they weren’t living with her.

Well, after everything that had happened she’d be happy to have _him_ back, right? If anyone could make him feel something, it would be her. The going was hard—in some places he was boring through solid rock to get where he wanted to go—but he was determined. He had to see her.

She cried when he explained what had happened, cradled his petals in her soft warm paws. But it was the same story. No amount of bedtime stories, or snail facts, or butterscotch-cinnamon pie brought any sort of warmth to his soul. He was starting to doubt he even had one with how things were going, but that couldn’t be right, could it? He could remember everything that had happened before, so he had to be the same person even if his body was different, right?

The thought wouldn’t leave him alone, so he checked on himself—one of the first spells any monster learned and practiced in school. It was a really good one, the sort that wouldn’t just show stats or HP, but make a monster’s very soul manifest and reveal its condition. Nothing but his stats showed up—there was a blank space where his soul should have been. It was empty. _He_ was empty. But if he no longer had a soul—the very essence of what made a person who they were—then what was he doing with these memories?

Something clicked when he accidentally witnessed a small funeral out in the abandoned city. He’d snuck out from under his mother’s watchful eye for some fresh air one day, and stumbled on the small gathering of Loox carrying a tiny box to one of the rare trees that grew down here. He was familiar with the tradition of course—when a monster died, their dust was spread on the thing they loved most so they could live on in a way. Plenty of monsters had small shrines dedicated to their loved ones’ memories and the chosen object. He’d wondered what his parents had spread his dust on, and then he remembered.

His dust would have spread out on the throne room floor that had since become a garden. His essence was living on alright, stuck in a tiny flower. How exactly he’d come to be this way, he wasn’t sure he’d ever know, but it wasn’t coincidence. He wouldn’t find out here, and he was starting to wonder if it even mattered. Would finding out what had happened lead him to feeling again? He doubted it. If not even she could help him… if nothing he tried had worked… then he really couldn’t feel love. He couldn’t imagine a world without love, and if that was all life had in store for him… he couldn’t go on like that. If he couldn’t feel love, and didn’t even have a soul, he could never be their son again. It wasn’t right to string them along like that. He’d follow his best friend’s lead.

But then—oh, he would laugh at himself later—he chickened out. Just like before. But rather than have to deal with the consequences of his choice, he was given the chance to do it all over again. He woke up in the king’s garden, and discovered the power of the reset.

This could be fun, and at least he could still feel that.

First, he experimented with himself. It wasn’t enjoyable by any stretch, but he wanted to learn how this reset thing worked. He learned he wasn’t restricted to his first ‘save point’—the spot where he’d first woken up in the garden. He could go to places that reminded him why he was here, and if he failed or wanted to re-do something, he would start back at wherever he’d last ‘saved’. It was like a strange sort of… time jumping ability, but he could never go back further than that initial point in the garden. He couldn’t go back into his memories so he could save his best friend.

He decided there was no point on dwelling on the past if he couldn’t change it. Besides, he didn’t have that soul, he didn’t look anything like who he used to be, and he didn’t feel much like that either. Even going by his old name didn’t seem right when that person no longer existed in a form anyone recognized. Not even his parents had after that first reset, so he had little reason to cling to it. He agonized over what to call himself, but when nothing good came to mind he settled on something simple.

Flowey.

Being able to reset was a power unlike anything he’d ever heard of. His dad had always stressed that those with power should take great care in using it wisely, so he told himself he’d only use it for good. Even if he didn’t get anything out of it—not even the warm feeling that he knew should come with helping someone—he’d do what he could to aid anyone who needed it. It was the right thing to do, and even if no one else knew, he was still the prince and it was his duty to look after the people.

Early on, he saved a small reptilian kid from tripping off a bridge in Waterfall. They became friends after that, sneaking around to catch glimpses of the guard captain in action. But just one ‘friend’ to hang out with was boring, so Flowey set about befriending everyone he met. It was easy enough, even with monsters who liked to introduce themselves through a fight. If he lost or failed, he could just reset and do it right the next time, and monsters were generally happy to talk to anyone.

Soon everyone in Waterfall was his friend—even the captain of the Royal Guard. She was brash and loud and didn’t hold back in a fight, but she was also a big softie inside just like the king, and it was fun getting her riled up. Flowey acted as a spotter for her during her training, making suggestions and picking up tips himself—she was the captain for a reason, after all. It was through her he met the first skeleton.

“Oh yeah Papyrus, I want you to meet this little guy! I’ve been meaning to tell you about him for a while, but it just never worked out,” she introduced, gesturing to where he’d taken root for the time being.

“Hello, tiny flower!” Papyrus greeted cheerfully, waving to him. “I’ve never seen you around before? Are you new here?”

“Hee hee! You could say that,” Flowey giggled. “I’m Flowey! So, you’re pals with Undyne too? That’s so cool!”

“Indeed, my floral friend!” Papyrus replied. “You are in for quite the experience today! For you see, Undyne trains with me as well! She’s getting better, but she will never surpass the Great Papyrus!”

Undyne burst out laughing. “Oh my god Papyrus, you’re MY student!”

Papyrus leaned in slyly. “That’s what I want her to think.”

Flowey looked up at the two friends as Undyne shoved Papyrus aside playfully, laughing all the while, and envied how much they seemed to care about each other. But more than that, he was curious. He couldn’t recall seeing any other skeleton monsters, even in his distant past. What was their magic like, he wondered? He burrowed to pop up by the house, a safer distance away—Undyne’s fighting got pretty intense even when she was on her own. Having a sparring partner only encouraged her to go all out, and that frequently left collateral damage. A lot of collateral damage.

“Okay, okay, ENOUGH foolin’ around!” Undyne finally bellowed. “You ready to PROVE you’re ready for the Royal Guard?!”

“Yes!” Papyrus answered, snapping to attention.

“Alright. Remember what I told you! I don’t want you to hold ANYTHING back this time! GOT IT?!” the captain roared, a spear of watery light springing into her hands.

“Understood!” Papyrus declared, taking a ready stance himself. “Today is the day you will see the full potential of the Great Papyrus!”

Flowey sat back, wishing he’d brought something—maybe popcorn—to snack on while he watched the fight. Undyne was wearing light armor, and its burnished silver edges gleamed as she threw out volleys of glowing spears; he had to admit she looked really cool. Papyrus was no pushover either—though he only wore a small, neat sweater and jogging shorts, his attacks really put Undyne to the test and she had a hard time landing any hits on him. Flowey watched intently as rows of bones danced and zigzagged across the field in carefully crafted patterns, their difficulty accentuated by blue soul magic. Flowey had never seen anything like it.

“Oh COME ON!” Undyne yelled after one particularly elaborate round, “You’re STILL holding back?!”

Flowey blinked, and raised a brow. None of that had looked easy? He couldn’t understand what she meant. But Papyrus looked disheartened and she instantly backpedaled.

“Uh—I mean, you’re doing REALLY good so far! But I KNOW you can do better!” she cried over another shower of spears, and the skeleton seemed to cheer up. Flowey decided to pitch in.

“Yeah! Go Papyrus!” he cheered, and received a gaze full of adoration from him—which ended when a spear knocked him off his feet.

“SORRY!” Undyne called, cutting the fight off and trotting over to her friend. “Are you okay?!”

Papyrus sat up slowly, rubbing his ribs where the spear had made contact. “Yes! The Great Papyrus fears no pain! Let’s keep going!”

Undyne frowned, then glanced over at Flowey. “Hey, I know you’re just trying to help, but this is really serious. No distractions, okay?”

“Indeed, Flowey. Though I understand why you would shower me in compliments and cheer me on, it is dangerous to do so in the midst of battle,” Papyrus added, his confidence ineffable. “I was so taken by your genuine expression of support it threw off my focus entirely!”

“Gee, I’m sorry,” Flowey answered, though he didn’t actually feel it. He hadn’t wanted Papyrus to get hurt though. “I’ll keep quiet from now on!”

“Alright, thanks,” Undyne said with a nod, then helped her other friend to his feet. “Well, you’ve definitely gotten better, but we still have to work on your speed. Those bones were moving WAY TOO SLOW, and I KNOW you can go faster.”

“But then it wouldn’t be fair,” Papyrus protested. “Everyone deserves a fair chance, even a human.”

Undyne sighed. “Yeah Papyrus… do you even want to try anything on the dummy? It’s, uh, unoccupied right now, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Why that’s even less fair! An object can’t defend itself at all!” Papyrus huffed, crossing his arms, and Undyne shook her head with a laugh.

“Guess you’re right. C’mon, let’s go in for some tea or something. Oh, Flowey… sorry you can’t come in. Would you want some?” Undyne asked, but he shook his head.

“Nah, I don’t like tea that much. Besides… it’s made with plants, so wouldn’t that be like cannibalism?”

Undyne burst out laughing, then grinned at him with all her teeth. “Sure, same way I eat sushi. But that’s what we call the food chain, punk!”

“Chains don’t seem very healthy to eat, Undyne,” Papyrus said, looking concerned, and she slapped him on the back.

“Nope! You’re right! C’mon, let’s get the tea started. We’ll bring it out when it’s done—I bet Flowey wants to hear ALL our embarrassing stories about each other!”

She dragged the skeleton in by the wrist—he waved as they passed by—and left the door open so Flowey could peer in. He didn’t really want to hear their embarrassing stories, but he was curious. Where was Papyrus from? Why did he want to join the Royal Guard? How had Undyne met him? He’d get a chance to ask soon enough. It wasn’t long before a shrill whistle announced the water was ready, and soon the two had emerged with steaming mugs and sat cross-legged on the soft marsh grass.

“So Flowey, what did you think of my cool techniques?” Papyrus asked after he’d taken a sip, and the flower thought for a moment.

“I’ve never seen anything like them!” he answered honestly. “All those bones—how can you keep track of them all?”

“Well, it may come as a surprise, but it’s very easy! All you have to do is think of them as one big puzzle—every piece has its place,” Papyrus answered, folding his arms and sitting up a little straighter. “And like every puzzle, it must have a solution or it simply isn’t fun for any involved parties. And trust me, I’ve thrown plenty of parties!”

“Hee hee, I bet you’re really popular!” Flowey said brightly. He liked Papyrus already—at least, as much as he could like anything.

“Oh yes! I have plenty of acquaintances,” Papyrus said proudly. “Everyone in town knows who I, the Great Papyrus, am!”

Flowey later learned that this was true—to a point.

He’d moved on from Waterfall, traded its swampy atmosphere for the biting cold of Snowdin. It wasn’t impossible for plants to grow here, but it was decidedly uncomfortable, so he didn’t spend much time above ground if he could help it—but that was the only way he could watch Papyrus’ antics. The tall skeleton really was something to observe, sometimes tearing through town cackling at the top of his voice while the bewildered townsfolk stared or shook their heads. They sure knew who he was, alright, and he would never let anyone forget it; he tried very hard to be memorable and was always working on some scheme that would earn him the prestige he craved.

It was through watching Papyrus that Flowey met the other skeleton.

“Sans! Hurry up, we’re going to be late!” Papyrus yelled into what Flowey had learned was his house; it struck him as being a fairly nice house for a skeleton who goofed off all day—so it shouldn’t have surprised him there was someone else paying the bills. Except Sans didn’t seem to do anything but goof off either.

“hold on bro, i don’t want to slip,” Sans replied, kicking up a foot as he walked out to join his brother. It bore a fuzzy pink slipper, and Papyrus groaned loudly.

“Sans! That’s not proper footwear, go back and put your shoes on!”

“but they’re on my feet and i’m wearing them. isn’t that their sole purpose?” Sans retorted, his eyes full of mischief, and his brother groaned even louder.

“Sans, if you keep this up… I’m giving you the boot!” Papyrus shot back, entirely straight-faced for a solid second until his brother’s laughter got to him and he too broke down.

“you can’t shoe me out like that,” Sans started up again between chuckles. “i’ll just sneaker back in when you’re not looking. it’d be quite the sandal.”

“Oh my god, Sans!” Papyrus shouted; Flowey could tell he was only pretending to be angry as he threw his hands up over his head in exasperation.

“ok, ok, sorry my joke… socks.”

“NYEH! Sans I’m not listening to this anymore! I’m leaving without you!”

Flowey watched Papyrus make a big show of marching off while Sans stayed behind, laughing softly before heading back inside. Flowey glanced around before darting under the snow to pop up at the front steps of the brothers’ house. He wanted to introduce himself properly, and find out if there was more to Sans than endless puns. He waited patiently, hours and hours until frost glazed his petals and it hurt to move. Just as he thought he’d freeze to death, he heard voices, and he stared as he saw the skeletons—both of them—walking up. What—how—when had Sans left? He’d been watching the door the whole time, there was no way he could have gotten past! Before they got close enough to see him, he ducked underground and surveyed the house—no, there were no other exits. So how had he…?

“I can’t believe your solution to breaking the ice off that tree puzzle was to sleep on it. Literally,” Papyrus was saying as they approached. “That has got to be the laziest way you’ve done anything yet.”

“hey, it worked didn’t it?” Sans teased back, and Flowey ducked but it was too late—the shorter skeleton’s eye lights flicked over him. “hey papyrus, looks like spring finally sprung down here. didn’t think golden flowers grew out this far.”

“Flowery!” Papyrus gasped as he poked back up out of the snow; no point in hiding if he’d been spotted, and what was he hiding for anyway?

“Howdy! And the name’s just Flowey,” he corrected. “Sorry for being shy, but I’ve never met your brother before!”

Papyrus scoffed. “There’s no need to be shy around Sans! Why the very thought is laughable!”

“yeah bud, nothin’ to worry about with me,” Sans said, and Flowey squinted at him.

“Was that a pun?”

“maybe,” Sans said with a wink, and his brother gave one of his famously exasperated groans.

“Sans! If you could cool it on the jokes for one minute—!”

“ok, i’ll chill. snow problem.”

“Oh my god!”

Flowey made a face; maybe there wasn’t any more to Sans than endless puns after all. It occurred to him that he and his mom would get along if they ever met.

“so, flowey, you and my bro have met before—how’d that happen?” Sans asked, finally dropping the puns and leaning against one of the mailboxes in front of their house.

“Undyne introduced us!” Flowey replied cheerfully. “I’ve been training with her too, here and there, and it just so happened I was there when Papyrus was!”

“Indeed! I’d never seen a talking flower before, and now he’s my friend! Isn’t it great, Sans?” Papyrus added, bouncing on his heels. “At this rate I’ll be a respected member of society in no time!”

“yeah bro, looks like your circle of friends is finally starting to grow. you’re just a late bloomer after all,” Sans said, closing his eyes as if in preparation for the dual groans he got in reply.

Flowey kept his distance for a while after that, mostly because he couldn’t deal with the sheer number of jokes Sans put out at any given moment. And it wasn’t just puns—Flowey soon learned any bad joke or harmless prank fell under the short skeleton’s sense of humor, and though his brother received the brunt of it no one was excluded. He watched him go on a long chain of dog puns with some of the Royal Guard, who were left howling with laughter by the time he ran out of things to say; another day, he traded ice and snow jokes with a runaway Snowdrake teen.

But Flowey still hadn’t figured out how he left the house without using the only door sometimes, or how he could look away and find Sans had disappeared when he looked back. It was weird—Sans, unlike his brother, was not given to moving fast, if at all. How he got around so quickly was becoming an increasing point of interest. He decided to cut to the chase one day, and ask.

“heh, i just know a lot of shortcuts. pretty handy for a lazy guy like me,” Sans explained with a shrug. Flowey had caught up with him in Waterfall, where he was renting out an old telescope. “what did you think i was doing, running everywhere?”

“No, that’d be silly, huh?” Flowey agreed. The fastest he’d seen Sans move was a brisk walk. But he didn’t buy there were dozens of hidden shortcuts all over the Underground that he hadn’t noticed either. Sans was the type of person you simply couldn’t take seriously at any given moment. “Can you show me one?”

“sure. look right over there,” Sans said, pointing to the cavern’s far wall. Flowey felt like he was about to be pranked, but he looked anyway.

“I don’t see anything,” he said, squinting, before turning to look back at Sans.

But Sans was gone.

“What—how—” Flowey stammered. He turned to look back at the wall.

Sans stood right behind him.

“neat shortcut, huh?” he said with a wink.

Flowey didn’t know what to think. If he was perfectly honest, he was a little creeped out. He’d definitely just been pranked, but… how?

And despite his efforts, he never could get a straight answer out of the skeleton either, which only frustrated him more. Sans was hiding something, but what it could possibly be Flowey could only guess at. All he knew was that no other monster could do anything like his ‘shortcuts’. Unable to get any more answers out of him, Flowey decided to ask Papyrus about it. He tended to be much more of an actual conversationalist.

“Ugh! He uses those to get around so much it’s a wonder his legs even work!” Papyrus had groaned when he brought it up. “And don’t get me started on when he pranks you with them.”

“Tell me about it!” Flowey agreed. “That’s why I want to know how he does it. So maybe he can’t catch me off-guard, you know?”

“Well if you find anything out, you should tell me too!” Papyrus replied, looking hopeful. “He just… does these things, sometimes. It’s just how he is, I guess.”

“So you don’t know anything either? Aren’t you guys like… super close?” Flowey questioned.

“Oh yes! But Sans doesn’t tell me everything. That’s okay though, we’re all allowed our secrets, aren’t we?”

Flowey was struck by how oddly poetic his reply was; Papyrus was full of surprises.

“Well, I’m glad we had this talk, Flowery! But it’s almost time for training with Undyne and I want to get a head start,” Papyrus said, closing up the control box of one of the many puzzles he maintained with a snap before springing up to his full height. “Today’s the day! I’m going to really impress her and finally make it into the Royal Guard for real!”

“You can do it!” Flowey cheered, waving his petals.

“Indeed I can—I just have to keep trying!” Papyrus stated firmly. “See you later—as the newest member of the Royal Guard!”

Flowey smiled at him, and then watched him walk over the puzzle he’d just recalibrated. Only his feet didn’t hit a single pressure pad switch. His feet didn’t touch the ground at all.

Flowey stared in the direction Papyrus had left in long after he was out of sight.

Papyrus was full of surprises indeed. But getting him to acknowledge anything unusual, either by way of sweet talk or insults, resulted in nothing. It seemed he’d reached a dead end with the brothers, so Flowey decided it was time to move on. He’d been so distracted by weird skeletons he hadn’t even befriended anyone else in Snowdin. The dogs were all easy enough—pet or play fetch with them and he had them in his proverbial lap anytime he saw them again. He vaguely wondered if it was wise to use such easily placated monsters as the front line of the Royal Guard, but they were so loyal and good at their job otherwise he didn’t have any real objections. The teens of Snowdin could use some parental supervision—he witnessed them decorating a hapless monster’s antlers with junk, and they argued over pointless things like who had the coolest hat. Jerry was there. But what he learned after enduring a barrage of awful puns from the teen Snowdrake was intriguing, to say the least.

He hadn’t even thought about going to see the royal scientist, and though he couldn’t imagine what they were doing with monsters who had fallen down, maybe they’d want to investigate a talking flower that could time travel. He’d finish up with everyone in Snowdin, make it out to the Ruins, and then double back to Hotland to learn just what sort of person the royal scientist was. A memory surfaced—his best friend had made a sour face when he’d asked them what the royal scientist had wanted—but that was all he could recall. He couldn’t remember who the royal scientist was, but he supposed ultimately it didn’t matter as long as they could tell him why he was like this.

His mom—not that she knew she was his mom this time around—was sad but understanding when he said he had places to go, but he’d finished with the Ruins quickly and was eager to move on. On his way back he checked up on Snowdin, which hadn’t changed save for a fresh layer of snow in his absence, so he made his way through Waterfall’s damp soil until it dried out and he was finally faced with dark basalt rock. He’d skipped exploring much of Hotland before because it was so tough to burrow through, and there were some places he just couldn’t reach. Luckily for him, the lab was not one of these places.

It loomed over him, the pale walls shining against the dark volcanic rock, and for a moment he was intimidated. But no, he had nothing to worry about—he had the reset. If anything went wrong, he could back out at any time and no one would be the wiser. He unfurled a vine and rang the doorbell.

Flowey wasn’t sure what he’d expected the royal scientist to be like, but it wasn’t a squat reptilian lady in a rumpled lab coat. But what struck him most was the odd expression on her face. It seemed like she… recognized him? That couldn’t be right.

“Howdy!” he greeted like he always did, smiling brightly. “Are you the royal scientist?”

The lady’s face dropped a fraction. “… W-well, technically speaking… yes? I-is there something…”

She trailed to just stare at him, and it was starting to weird him out. Even if monsters had never seen a talking flower before, they usually were polite enough about it. Maybe she knew something after all.

"You’re just the person I’m looking for! Y’see, I’ve noticed talking flowers are kind of a rare thing around here—in fact, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one! But I don’t know where I came from, and I was hoping you might be able to help!”

“W-well, the environment has been inundated with m-magic over time, s-so events of spontaneous generation are not unknown…” she replied, twiddling her claws. “B… b-but… you’re right. You’re the only one. Flower, I mean.”

“So…? Is there more to the story?” Flowey prompted, tilting his head curiously. The lady’s eyes darted nervously.

“Uh… W-wait here!” she suddenly said, holding up her hands before swiftly shuffling back inside. Flowey frowned, and would have folded his arms if he’d had them. But it was only a few minutes before the door slid back open, and the lady emerged carrying a small pot filled with soil.

“T-there we go! I-if you wouldn’t mind getting in s-so we can talk, a-and I can run tests—n-nothing major! B-but just to see what kind of monster you are—y-you know, normal health checkup type stuff. Does… does that sound okay?”

Flowey eyed the pot—it felt like an insult—but she’d correctly guessed he wasn’t able to get inside most buildings, and becoming a potted plant was his only option if he wanted to learn anything. Besides, it wasn’t like it could be permanent. He nodded, and between the two of them the transplant was successful. She carried him inside, and he realized it’d been a long time since he’d been carried anywhere.

The lab’s interior looked… unkempt. The computer desk was buried in stacks of paperwork and old dishes, while the rest of the floor was barren. Flowey had expected it to be buzzing and beeping with all kinds of equipment, maybe even chemicals heating over an open flame or two. This place just looked… dead. Maybe the lady did stuff that was more theoretical…?

She set him on a table and got a clipboard to take notes on before pulling up a chair to begin. “Okay, s-so, uh, I’m—my name’s Alphys. Do you go by anything?”

“I’m Flowey,” he answered. “Not super creative, I know. Nice to meet you!”

“Heh, nice to meet you too. So. Um…. Do… do you…. What’s the first thing you remember?”

Flowey thought for a moment. “I… I woke up in the king’s garden. That’s not weird is it?”

“N-no! That makes total sense,” Alphys quickly replied. “If—if a flower was going to come to life, that’s where I’d predict it happening. Based on, uh, the evidence.”

“Evidence? Like what?” Flowey probed.

“U-uh, well, the vast majority of golden flowers grow in the king’s garden, which is close to the barrier—a huge magical force by itself—but then… then there’s also… also…oh…” Alphys trailed, squeezing her eyes shut. “No. You deserve to know the truth. Of all people…”

Flowey frowned. “The truth?”

Alphys removed her glasses and ran a hand over her face. “I-I… you… you’re alive because of me. I-I was supposed to make a vessel for the souls, a-and something that was alive but didn’t have a soul of its own was the best option, s-so…. At first I thought it didn’t work, b-but then the king told me one of the flowers was just gone—so all this time I wondered what happened to it, a-and now…. Now you’re here, so, maybe my experiment wasn’t a failure after all…?”

Flowey stared. Alphys grew uncomfortable under his blank gaze, and fidgeted anxiously. It was her fault he was like this? He was trapped as a soulless weed and it was all because of this nervous ball of scales?!

He reset.

It was a full reset, one that wiped out every shred of progress he’d made. It was an overreaction, he realized later, but as he came to in the garden again he couldn’t help the bitterness welling inside him. He really wasn’t supposed to exist like this—it was all some kind of bizarre science experiment gone wrong. All he was now was a mistake; an empty thing with the memories of a dead child.

He stayed away from other people for a while, but eventually, curiosity won out. He wanted to know exactly what Alphys had been trying to do when she accidentally created him. He went back to the lab to do it all again, and that was how he learned _he_ wasn’t the failure.

In the history of making mistakes, he could now list two of the worst ones in monster history to his knowledge: his agreeing to follow his best friend’s plan to break the barrier, and now, coming in at second place, Alphys’ experiments. They were both a literal and figurative mess wandering the halls of her basement, slimy shuddering masses of magic that would never be who they once were again. In his opinion, he was the closest to success she’d ever come, and even that had worked out terribly. Worst of all, Alphys was too much of a coward to admit to anything she’d done. It was all just so pathetic, and had he still had a soul, maybe he would have felt sorry for her.

But he was still the prince. His dad had warned him that there weren’t always going to be people he liked or got along with—even he had people who grated on him at every turn—but as ruler, he had to be fair and listen and reserve judgment. Alphys had screwed up, but being cruel would get him nowhere. And he hadn’t finished befriending everyone, so he might as well start somewhere and maybe get some closure out of it.

She was only ever really able to confirm what he’d already deduced; he had no soul to speak of, the physical body of a flower, and all the magic and stats of a monster. And he had a power that had only ever belonged to humans: determination. It was this that had brought him to life, what let him persist even when his body gave out, to defy fate and reverse time.

He wondered why his best friend hadn’t used it before they’d both made a terrible mistake.

But it was his now, and he could use it to do anything he wanted. He wasn’t quite ready to try befriending everyone again, but there was plenty to do besides that—he could explore without fear, read any book he wanted, play every game until he won every time. But even things like that only went so far—after a half-dozen resets of keeping to himself, he realized it was much more fun talking to people. Objects couldn’t react to things he did or said, and you could only play a game so many times before it got old.

He played with telling his story to people to see what kind of reaction it got. His parents responded exactly the same way they had the first time, which felt so long ago now. Most other monsters pitied him, but he’d come to terms with what he was by now, and their sympathy was lost on him in more ways than they could imagine. He even went back to Alphys again, and see if he could help her in some way—at least so she’d stop being such a coward.

When he got sick of the sad looks monsters gave him on the street, he reset, and played with how they reacted to making friends with a simple talking flower. He found that went much better—no useless pity and wasted sadness now; he was a completely neutral party and people treated him as such. It was funny giving gardening tips to Asgore—even if they weren’t totally true, the king was happy to listen to anyone who seemed like a real authority on something. He learned to cook all manner of classic monster dishes with Toriel, then passed those tips on to Papyrus when he and Undyne almost burned down her house (again). Sans seemed to be happy as long as his brother was, which was fine with Flowey—it meant he didn’t have to put up with so many awful jokes by befriending him directly. Even Mettaton, self-proclaimed star of the Underground, was offering him interviews and TV spots as top MTT-brand spokesflower. For anyone else, being so well-known might have been overwhelming, but he’d been the prince. He’d seen the people roar his name, and then his best friend’s name, in reverent hopeful crowds that filled city streets and castle halls.

It had been fun drawing the entire Underground together, improving relationships of all sorts until the whole kingdom was full of hope; he wondered if this was what it would have been like to rule. But without being able to actually feel the fondness and adoration his ‘friends’ showered him in, it got old much faster than he would have liked. He couldn’t give the people what they really wanted either—freedom. Asgore had never showed him the human souls he’d collected, no matter how nicely he asked. As far as Flowey was concerned, he’d hit another dead end.

Few monsters really cared about what he wanted, and even he wasn’t even sure of that anymore. A few were more than happy to try cheering him up—Papyrus was the founding member of the Flowey fan club after all and, as he’d declared one day, it was his duty as his number one fan to make sure he was having a good day. But there was nothing the well-intentioned skeleton, or anyone, could do.

Maybe his best friend could.

No, that was silly—they were long gone, and if they hadn’t come back using their determination by now… well, maybe he just had to wait. They’d been hurting so badly… maybe they weren’t ready to come back yet. He could only guess, and he had all the time in the world to kill.

He wasn’t sure how much, but a lot of it had passed when an idea came to him. It wasn’t the first time but until now he hadn’t given it any consideration—it was wrong no matter what, he wouldn’t sink to that level. At least, that’s what he’d told himself, but he was getting curious. He’d played the hero dozens of times now, solved everyone’s problems with increasing ease until it wasn’t even a puzzle anymore. Even people ran out of ways to react; in the end, they all became predictable and oh so incredibly _boring_. He’d seen what happened if he helped people… but what would happen if he hurt them instead? He resolved to find out. If he reset, wouldn’t that make everything okay?

The pile of dust that had once been a monster lay scattered before him. It had been no one important, a Vegetoid that had burrowed in a secluded spot in the Ruins, but he panted, unable to help a broad grin spreading across his face. What a feeling, what a _rush_ of power—so this was how his best friend had felt so long ago! Control over whether someone lived or died, watching them stare in shock as he broke the unspoken code and dealt a killing blow—how _thrilling_.

And just to make sure, he reset, journeyed back to the catacombs, and there it was. The Vegetoid, humming a sighing song to itself and oblivious to what he’d done to it mere moments ago. He grinned even wider—there really were no such thing as consequences anymore. The Underground belonged to him, and he could do whatever he wanted to it; when one couldn’t feel love, it was much more fun to be feared.

As he experimented, Flowey learned the world was like an elaborate equation. If he took certain people out, it changed the end result, and it was entertaining to see what he could make happen just by killing a few key people. The whole Underground fell into hopelessness if Asgore died—only if Toriel returned from her exile would some life return to the citizens. If both the king and queen were dead, well, there was an election process—he’d only read about it in an incredibly old history book, and it was amusing to watch everyone trying to pick up the pieces with a system no one knew how to use. Sometimes Mettaton won this election, and the Underground would descend into a hellish scape of glitter and popularity contests; Mettaton was a terrible leader, but he was one of the most fun to watch the aftermath of.

Undyne was interesting. If she lived and the king died, there was a chance she would declare herself empress, and though she was incredibly hotheaded there was no doubt the kingdom was safer in her hands—Flowey couldn’t count how many times he’d died to the Royal Guard’s new diligence. But if he killed her, something weird would happen to her—was she really that determined all on her own? He’d had to reset and go through the fight again just to be sure, but there was no mistaking the way scales and armor sagged into a viscous sludge before crumbling to dust.

He figured out how to make Papyrus of all people king, and somehow the kingdom kept running. That was pretty funny too—there were suspicions his brother was the one doing all the work behind the scenes. But no one could picture Sans working that hard on anything, so a consistent topic of gossip was whether the brothers actually did anything or just delegated it to overworked subordinates who no one knew personally. All Flowey knew for sure was that both skeletons looked more tired than usual.

But all of this experimentation was building up to what he’d deemed his grand finale—a run-through in which he would kill everyone. He was sick of them all, even what he might call his fondest memories now, and he was looking forward to smashing every last one to pieces. He wasn’t curious anymore, and nothing about this would be hard. He’d start out at the Ruins, and work his way in; maybe this time, Asgore would use the souls—or at least open them up so he could get a crack at them. Then he’d show the world what real power was—that in this world, it was kill or be killed.

Most monsters didn’t realize they were fighting for their lives when he started. By Snowdin, he’d earned a reputation; the town was empty of its people and what remained of the Guard were on high alert. But it made no difference—he’d gotten good at killing things quickly, and he was building some kind of momentum with every pile of dust he left behind, an effect he’d noticed before. But it was rising to new heights on this run, and he wondered how high it could go. He headed towards Waterfall, vines almost itching in anticipation; Undyne always put up a good fight no matter what run he was on. But he ran into someone on the way there that surprised him; there, standing solemnly in the fog, was Papyrus.

“Oh! Flowey, you’re… here already,” the tall skeleton began. If they were going to fight, Flowey just wanted to get it over with. He’d heard all this before anyway, and inched forward to initiate the battle.

“Now Flowey, there’s no need to act so rashly! I can’t imagine what led you down this path, but I know you can change!” Papyrus said; he wasn’t even pleading, he really believed mere words would change Flowey’s mind. A ring of small white pellets appeared around his ‘friend’, and he grinned wickedly as Papyrus eyed them nervously.

“You really can do better! Come on! I believe in you!”

Flowey sent his attacks crunching through bone, delighting in the anguished look that flickered across Papyrus’ face as he took the hit. He never had been able to pull through in a fight, practice or otherwise; Flowey knew exactly why he would never earn a position in the Royal Guard. Aside, of course, from being dead now. He wondered if his useless brother would show up this time; he never had been able to find him in other runs if Papyrus was dead, no matter where he looked. Knowing how close they were, maybe he died from grief.

He flicked some snow over the pile of dust, and though it was a pain to find everyone he still carved his way through Waterfall with ease. At this rate he doubted even Undyne could pose a challenge, and he listened to her boast with an amused smirk when they finally met. Oh, if only she knew the _hell_ she’d be in for! Oh sure, defending the people she loved from further harm, how vile he was, she could feel everyone cheering her on, blah blah blah. Finally the battle began, and it really was no different from the dozens of other times he’d clashed with her. He’d deal the final blow, she’d melt (which was still weird), and that’d be the end of it. What a yawn.

She melted, and then she didn’t.

Flowey stared at what she had become, reformed by her own sheer will. _This_ was new, _this_ was interesting! This was bringing out what monsters were truly capable of, and he was actually satisfied when the first volley of spears tore through him. Undyne was a real challenge after all, fierce and determined, her attacks coming in at unfair speeds from all sides. It was a glorious fight, the kind he’d always dreamed of—a shame it took so much work to bring out, even in the scrappiest monster in the world. He was shredded to pieces more times than he could count, but the thought of besting this heroine kept him coming back until he fell into the rhythm of her attacks and learned what to expect.

And so even the warrior-goddess crowned by her own power fell. She shrieked, refusing to die even as her body melted for the last time and shattered into the howling wind. Flowey laughed, full of exuberance and the thrill of victory after such an arduous battle. No one could stand in his way now except the king, and he even doubted that. He knew Asgore didn’t have the spirit his former captain had. No one did, and it was almost disappointing.

He cleaned Hotland out in a few hours, and was disappointed to find Alphys had disappeared. He’d been looking forward to that encounter, but now he wouldn’t get the satisfaction—so he tried taking it out on the test subjects downstairs only to find they couldn’t die either. He wondered, for an instant, if they remembered too… but shook the thought off and left, not willing to waste any time. Mettaton went down in a blaze of smoke and glitter live on camera, and that was the end of that. Flowey shook off his dusty vines and burrowed his way towards New Home, where what remained of the Underground’s population hid in their homes waiting for the end. He’d make sure none of them waited in vain.

Flowey looked over the empty city from the high road that led straight to the castle, contemplating it. A pale gray haze hung in the few shafts of light that made it through the cracked cavern roof, billowing in the wind; a distant rumble sounded and the scattered lights that had been left shining in windows stuttered out. With no one running the Core, it had begun its emergency shutdown sequence. Having conversed with its engineers in times past, Flowey knew if it didn’t shut down, it would overload, and if that happened, well… the entire mountain would be reduced to ash. Maybe someday he’d play with that, but for now, it was time to finish what he’d started here.

He turned from the vacant city and found he wasn’t alone. The shadowy figure standing at the end of the road was much too small to be Asgore—Flowey squinted, then broke out laughing. Him? Really? This had to be a joke, and well, considering who it was that shouldn’t have been surprising. Flowey started the fight, unable to help the smug grin on his face.

It was promptly blasted off. He reset back to his point overlooking the city, and quivered with outrage. What— _what was this garbage?!_ He hadn’t even had a chance to react before he’d died, how was this possible? Sans was the least confrontational monster he’d ever met, not to mention the laziest—he shouldn’t be good at fighting at all. Flowey grit his teeth, and turned to face the skeleton again. He glared at that smile he always seemed to wear, and was so angry he almost missed what he was saying.

“you look pretty mad about something. i’d probably be mad too if someone showed up to put a wrench in my evil plans. though, i don’t know for sure, since i don’t have any evil plans.”

“What?” Flowey uttered. It was almost like… Sans knew he had killed him? That shouldn’t be possible. No, he was only guessing! He started the fight again, and after a couple more tries he managed to dodge the initial blast and most of the following wave of bones. He panted, feeling something gnawing away at his HP even after the attack finished, and squinted up at his opponent. Sans seemed as unfazed as ever.

“heh. always seemed smart to start out with your strongest attack,” he said lightly, and Flowey growled. His turn now; at least if Sans had used his best attack already then the rest would be easy. He lashed out with a vine, whipping it through the air with a crack—and Sans sidestepped it like he’d seen it coming from miles ahead. What. Was. This. _Garbage?!_

Where Undyne’s fight had been a challenge, Sans’ was just unfair, literally. If Flowey made it past his first barrage, he ran up against a relentless stream of bones crisscrossing the field, alternating cyan and white that crashed into him at blistering speeds. He was losing badly already, and somehow Sans managed to rub it in after every reset.

“wow, i didn’t know a flower could look that angry. something bugging you pal?”

“judging by the look on your face… did i getcha? hey, don’t be mad at me. i’m just doin’ my job.”

“whoa bud, you got a bone to pick with me? heh, based on how frustrated you look… dying nine times would do that to ya.”

How did he know?! After losing everyone he might have cared about, how could he joke?! After dying for the tenth time, Flowey stared at him, waiting yards away in the shadows like a stalker. Sans was weird. He cheated and had magic no other monster used—Flowey had never heard of ‘karmic retribution’ before but it seeped into his health like poison any time he took a hit. There was decidedly more to this joker than he’d thought after all, and he resolved to try to listen to what he was saying this time rather than focus on not dying.

“i guess i knew this was always gonna happen,” Sans was saying after he’d evaded yet another of Flowey’s strikes. “our reports were pretty conclusive. timelines stopping, starting, jumping all over the place until eventually, they all just end. maybe you’re wondering how that might feel, and well…”

Another maze of bones; Flowey managed to endure most of them to make his move, which missed like usual.

“let me tell you, it’s, uh, not fun.”

Flowey snarled as he sent an array of his seed-like bullets at the skeleton, who merely ducked out of the way again. The fight was starting to be more tiring than fun, but at least Sans was saying something interesting.

“knowing at any instant, anything you do can just be taken back to square one, with no memory of it…”

Flowey died to a round of the weird skull lasers. He huffed, memories of pain lingering even if his body was perfectly fine. That had always been a weird thing about resets. He sighed, and turned back to continue once more. Sans knew about resets, but how? Had Alphys told him about them? Maybe he would say so if Flowey could keep him talking. After a few more tries, he finally got back to where he’d left off before.

“needless to say, it makes it hard to want to do anything. even this whole fight. i’m kinda just phonin’ it in right now,” Sans admitted, and Flowey wanted to scream. Sans wasn’t even trying!?

Flowey’d had enough. He summoned a ring of pellets to encircle the skeleton completely and laughed—he’d love to see him dodge _this_. He sent them closing in, eager to see that grin finally wiped off his opponent’s face. The world blinked, and Sans was now standing in a completely different spot. Flowey stared, and missed his own cue to avoid the bones coming in from both sides.

Could Sans reset? What else could that weird clicking-blinking-moving thing he did be? No, if he could then he’d remember. So what the heck was he doing? Flowey was starting to feel he wasn’t actually going to get any answers about that, but he was determined to finish this fight.

“eh, maybe that’s just an excuse to be lazy,” Sans had continued when he made it to the same point again. “not that you’d know anything about that.”

Sans cut in and out of attacks with his weird skipping ability now, keeping Flowey on his figurative toes. Flowey knew some of them would have been unavoidable, so if Sans just wanted to kill him, why hadn’t he? He was clearly capable of it, both he and Flowey losing track of how many times it’d been now.

“the anomaly that’s causing all this… i used to think maybe it was just lonely or unhappy. but after everything that’s happened…”

More laser skulls, big ones this time; Flowey thought they reminded him of something but he was too busy evading them to think much on it. He attacked on his turn again, but didn’t even try to hit Sans knowing it would do no good. Maybe if he waited, the opportunity would present itself…

“well, let’s just say i don’t think it’s something that can be happy. you sure don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself now.”

Flowey curled his lip at Sans; what did he know about him?! He’d be all too happy once he finished him off for good, let him join his naïve brother in the afterlife. All this talk would get him nowhere, but at least he could back it up with his fight. Flowey died again a half dozen more times.

“heh heh heh… trust me, bud, neither am i. but someone’s gotta make sure the world doesn’t end.”

Flowey frowned. He wasn’t trying to end the world, just kill everyone in it he could. This didn’t make any sense, and as he was distracted by the thought he died again. Back on the road, he shook himself out and took a moment to collect his thoughts. As much as he wanted to kill Sans and move on, he was getting tired of fighting him. The taunts, the dodging—he’d even started attacking out of turn, when Flowey was trying to decide what to do. He was actually starting to miss being able to do things other than fight, especially with an opponent who wouldn’t let him win. It was just so unfair! How had this miniscule, wimpy, lazy little skeleton done better than his brother, all of the Royal Guard, the former queen—literally anyone else more qualified?! It… almost seemed like he knew exactly what to do.

Sans wasn’t fighting just to kill him, or even as revenge for killing his brother—if that were true he’d have fought him before. The end of the world was certainly reason enough to stand up and fight, but then… how did he know what tactics to use against someone who could just keep coming back? It all seemed so precise, like Sans had planned for this. Knowing about resets ahead of time would help, but there seemed like there had to be more to it than that. He’d said ‘our reports’… so who had helped him?

There had to be a better way to do this, to find out what was up with Sans. He’d given up on it before, but now he had real reason to believe he was breaking the rules in more ways than one. He’d destroy him one day, but right now… he was curious. And it felt good to feel that way again. Flowey looked up at the shadowy figure that waited for him with hellfire, shook his head, and reset.

He woke up in the garden, all but his own memory of his crimes erased. He inhaled the fresh, dust-free air, ready to begin again now that he had something to explore, a new secret he’d failed to uncover. An eager smile crossed his face, and before Asgore could find him, he burrowed away, his sights set on Snowdin and its most unusual inhabitants. One way or another, he was going to find out the truth about them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better subject to update on Halloween with than a whole chapter about Flowey? Storytime: when I first outlined DYD, this chapter didn't exist. Originally it was just going to be a short section, and then we'd move on to other things. But then it kept getting longer, and longer, until finally I realized devoting a chapter to Flowey would be the perfect setup for the rest of the plot anyway, and here we are. Sorry for killing everyone in the process. =u=;;
> 
> Sadly, I'm afraid it might be a while before the next update--the next chapter is still being written and is giving me some trouble. But it's when everything this fic has really been building up to happens, so I hope it's worth the wait. As always though, thanks for reading!


	9. Event Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. It's, uh, been a while huh?
> 
> Despite this chapter being the one I was looking forward to writing the most... I got stuck. I never wanted to stop, and I hadn't lost my ideas... but the words just didn't want to come.
> 
> Thankfully, I've made some other writer friends recently, and they helped me get un-stuck, and man is that a good feeling. I'm sorry I kept you all waiting, but I think this is what everyone's been waiting for, and I hope it was worth it.
> 
> Not sure if I should warn for character death. I don't focus on it, and it doesn't stick. But, well... let me know, ok?
> 
> Enjoy.

Papyrus blinked, hesitating for just a moment before falling back into his confident march. He stole a glance at his brother, who walked only slightly behind him—good, he hadn’t noticed him falter. Sans seemed so tired these days, even more so than usual, and it simply wouldn’t do to add worrying about his brother to whatever was already troubling him. Papyrus had his suspicions of course, but he couldn’t have Sans suspicious about his suspicions, else he’d be suspect of even more.

“Hurry Sans! The official puzzle construction committee, overseen by _the_ Royal Guard, is going to be inspecting my work today and I won’t allow us to be late!”

“bro, you’re the only one going for this job,” Sans yawned. “and you’ll get it too, but, well, i don’t see a reason i gotta be there. especially at 6 in the morning. you know i need all the beauty sleep i can get, it’ll really help my skin toning.”

Papyrus scoffed. “You don’t even have skin! Besides! I don’t sleep and am as dashing as ever, so it seems to me one doesn’t need naps at all to look handsome! So shake those leg bones! Nyeh!”

The brothers trudged on through the snow to where Papyrus had built his very first official puzzle, a variation on the classic combination lock method. All someone who wanted to pass through had to do was step on the pressure pads to change them to the correct setting and they could proceed; it was just the trial run so it wasn’t very complicated, but Papyrus was proud of his work regardless. If the Guard liked it, he’d get to make more and really show what he could do, and then one day…!

Well, he couldn’t be sure, but he sure could keep trying. It was all anyone could do really, to strive to be the best they could be and stay true to themselves no matter what the future held. He’d encourage anyone he met to believe that as well, to his dying breath.

He glanced back down at his brother, who was nodding off even as he stood. “Sans!”

“wha—‘m awake bro, what’s up?” Sans murmured, straightening up.

“We need to look sharp! What if a human appeared this very moment and caught you napping?” Papyrus scolded, crossing his arms. “Or worse, I’m seen with such a lazybones!”

“hard to look sharp when you’re round like me,” Sans joked, and his brother groaned. “and if a human did come through here, you’d get ‘em right away. they’d have to let you into the royal guard then, right?”

“Yes! If all else fails and Undyne’s special training doesn’t work, catching a human will surely prove I’m worthy of becoming a Royal Guardsman! I’ll finally have fame! Fortune! Fashion! Friends!”

“Aw, Papyrus, I thought we were friends!” a high voice called from near the trees, and the brothers spun.

“Flowery!” Papyrus cheered, jogging over to the smiling yellow flower. “Of course we’re friends! I was simply referring to the fact joining the Royal Guard will allow my friend quantity to reach previously unseen numbers!”

“You’ll be loved by everyone, huh?” Flowey said brightly. “Sounds like fun! But listen, as much as I love talking to my best friend, I actually had a question for your brother today!”

“Really? I don’t know what Sans could tell you besides terrible jokes, but okay!” Papyrus agreed, then called to his brother, who seemed to have dozed off already. “Sans! My friend has a question for you!”

Sans startled awake, then shuffled over. “’sup? some kinda problem i can help get to the root of?”

Papyrus and Flowey groaned in unison.

“Anyway—and maybe this is a little odd for a silly old flower to be thinking about, but I’ve been really curious lately. Do you think time travel is possible?” Flowey asked, tilting his head.

“I didn’t know you knew Sans liked science fiction!” Papyrus gasped. “How did you know?”

“Oh, I know a lot about everyone! Not much to do as a flower except watch the world go by. You can learn all kinds of things that way,” Flowey dismissed. Papyrus caught the sly glance he cast at his brother, and felt the tiniest flicker of nerves.

“never thought i’d meet a plant into sci-fi,” Sans spoke, scratching the side of his head. “uh, as for time travel, i guess it could be. no one’s ever proved it though, so, it’s kinda firmly in the realm of hypotheticals, y’know?”

“But what if it was possible? What do you think it’d be like?” Flowey pressed.

“hmm… well, it’d open up all kinds of possibilities. go see what the past or future is like… do things over as many times as you wanted, take time to do what was really important to you… though, technically, you’d age faster than anyone else, so, uh, that might be a problem,” Sans elaborated, then shrugged. “that’s just what i’ve read though. who knows, maybe it’s actually really boring.”

“I see…” Flowey trailed, looking disappointed.

“Why do you even want to know about this nerd stuff anyway, Flowey?” Papyrus taunted, raising a brow.

“Well, if I’m perfectly honest… I heard something about some research some monsters did a while back. What I really want to know…” Flowey paused, his expression becoming oddly smug, “is if all my resetting makes me the anomaly.”

Papyrus kept grinning. “I don’t know why you think Sans would know something weird like that. Right Sans?”

He looked down at his brother, who wore an unreadable expression.

“heh, yeah. that’s, uh, really weird. hey papyrus, isn’t your evaluation soon? why don’t you go meet them, that’ll really show them you’re on top of things, huh?”

“An excellent idea! You and Flowey can wait here and keep talking about nerd things, and when I get back, prepare to be dazzled! Dazed! Amazed! By my puzzle-design genius! Nyeh heh heh!” Papyrus boasted, then turned and marched from the clearing.

Once he was out of sight, he waited, leaning with his back to a tree and a sinking feeling filling his chest. He shut his eyes, and braced himself. A loud, loud sound thrummed through his bones right to his core, and then—

Papyrus blinked, hesitating for just a moment before falling back into his confident march. He stole a glance at his brother, who walked only slightly behind him—good, he hadn’t noticed him falter. Sans seemed so tired these days, even more so than usual, and it simply wouldn’t do to add worrying about his brother to whatever was already troubling him. Papyrus had his suspicions, but letting on that he knew anything was out of the question.

Papyrus knew a lot. He knew he and his brother didn’t belong in this version of the Underground. Though he never remembered exactly what happened in them—especially after so many, only snatches here and there remained—he knew full well about the resets. He knew that despite them, he couldn’t give up no matter how pointless it all felt, because he knew what that had done to his brother and heaven forbid the world get stuck with two sad, listless skeletons. It was hard sometimes, but he could handle it.

He eyed the clearing as they approached once more and stole another glance at his brother, glad he didn’t have lights that would give him away. Sans seemed more on edge and less sleepy now, like he knew something had happened. Papyrus could never be sure how much his brother remembered without revealing everything, but Sans had been there too. Even if he didn’t remember them, he would know the resets were happening, and why.

This time, Flowey waited until Papyrus had been awarded his certificate of puzzle-making prowess and taken a victory lap around the clearing to show up.

“Flowery! You missed my effortless victory!” Papyrus exclaimed, bounding over to the plant and crouching as he held his certificate out. “I’m official purveyor of puzzles ‘round these parts!”

“Wow Papyrus, that’s great!” Flowey congratulated; he looked a little miffed about something but kept up his friendly airs. Papyrus hoped it wasn’t an act this time. “I know you’ve been working super hard to get that, huh?”

“Yes! But that is not where my story ends, oh-ho, no! Today, puzzles… tomorrow! The Royal Guard!” Papyrus declared, standing up to pose dramatically. “They can’t ignore me now!”

“anyone who ignores you is missing out big time, bro,” Sans said as he shuffled up. Flowey’s smile grew taut as he drew near, and Papyrus wondered for a moment just what the little flower thought of his brother—clearly nothing pleasant, but he was ignoring that for now. Sans could be… irritating, he’d give him that much.

“Say! Why don’t I treat you guys to celebrate?” Flowey offered, grinning broadly. “Something like this definitely deserves some Nice Cream, right?”

“How kind! Of course we can celebrate!” Papyrus instantly agreed. “We’ll meet you at the Nice Cream stand, okay?”

“Sure thing! Race ya!” Flowey grinned, then disappeared into the snow.

“see ya there, bro,” Sans called as Papyrus tore off after the flower, sending snow flying in his wake.

He knew Flowey would already be at the Nice Cream stand by the time he got there, but he still had to make an effort and besides, running was good exercise and something he enjoyed. Once he arrived, Sans would show up, letting him win even though he could’ve used a shortcut to get there in an instant. But Papyrus had made it very clear shortcuts were cheating, so Sans had settled for using them only when he’d already lost and Papyrus couldn’t think of a good reason to tell him off for that. And that was how these things always went.

Flowey bought the Nice Cream for them, then suggested they sit a little ways away overlooking the valley. They sat quietly for a moment, and Papyrus delighted in the fact things were going so well—he had his brother to his right, looking content, and his BFF (best flower friend) on his left who’d already demolished his dessert and was now chewing on the stick thoughtfully. His wrapper had complimented him on a great smile, which was right on the money, and he wanted things to stay this way forever.

He knew very well it wouldn’t.

“So, guys… I’ve been thinking,” Flowey started, breaking that comfortable quiet. Papyrus continued slowly eating his ice cream.

“uh oh,” Sans joked. Was it a joke?

“I’ve been watching you both for a really long time, and I just don’t get it. Sans, did you know your brother can just—walk on thin air? Papyrus, your brother can—I dunno, teleport? Don’t you guys think that’s weird?”

“Of course not! They’re just things brothers do,” Papyrus answered swiftly. “Sans can go one way and come out somewhere else, and I am too great to be bound by mere gravity. It’s simple!”

Flowey’s smile was a little lopsided. “No Papyrus, that’s not…. Listen. I’ve met every monster in the Underground, every single one, and NONE of them can do what you guys can. I found out you two just showed up here one day, and there’s no other skeleton monsters out there—trust me, I checked. So… where did you come from?”

Papyrus glanced nervously to Sans, who was working on his dessert like he hadn’t heard anything. He turned back to Flowey and gave him the blankest look he could muster. “Where we’re from…? I don’t know what you mean. We’re from Snowdin!”

Flowey scowled. “You don’t have a family? You just came into existence, like ‘poof!’?”

“I guess I never really gave it much thought,” Papyrus answered, stroking his chin. “But that must be it! Just like how you appeared!”

Flowey frowned, but nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. Kind of silly for _me_ to ask that, huh?”

“No question is too silly!” Papyrus rebuffed. “Just be prepared for no answers!”

“Right,” Flowey replied, his smile looking more than a bit sour as he turned to gaze back out over the valley. He was quiet for a while, then thought of another question. “Have you guys ever fought each other? You know, just for fun?”

“You know, I think we used to,” Papyrus answered, tapping his ice cream stick against his teeth. “But Sans has been much too lazy to do anything of the sort for some time now.”

“yup. i can’t imagine myself fighting anyone, for fun or otherwise,” Sans added. “i’d _really_ have to have a bone to pick with them.”

Papyrus and Flowey groaned, but an odd look came over the plant’s face.

“It’s really something else,” he started. “If it weren’t so infuriating I’d even say it’s cool.”

“What are you talking about, Flowey?” Papyrus asked. “You seem to have started in the middle of a conversation, and not the beginning. That’s okay! I know what it is to have your thoughts run faster than your mouth, nyeh heh!”

“You don’t say,” Flowey muttered, then continued his line of thought. “Oh, well, just thinking about your brother. Y’see, I _have_ seen him fight!”

“Really?” Papyrus uttered, trying to sound absolutely fascinated. Sans looked like he was contemplating a nap.

“Yeah! He’s not afraid of holding back, but he’s also a terrible cheat!”

“hey papyrus, why don’t you get us some more nice cream? i’ll pay ya back later,” Sans said, patting his brother’s back.

“Oh no, I said it was my treat!” Flowey interceded, waving a vine reproachfully. “I’ll be right back!”

After he disappeared into the snow, Papyrus turned to his brother. “You, fighting? What is he talking about?”

“don’t listen to him, he’s just messing with us,” Sans replied shortly. “guy’s a dirty liar, trying to get a rise.”

“Why would he do that?”

“dunno. if he wants to pick a fight he has pretty poor taste. i’m the laziest bones to ever laze.”

Their conversation trailed as Flowey returned, two more Nice Creams in his vines. Papyrus took them and handed one to his brother, and the interrogation continued.

“So, as I was saying! Papyrus, your brother’s pretty good, but only because he’s a cheater. And y’know, it bothered me, because there’s no way he should’ve been able to win, but he did! It’s like he knew exactly what to do,” Flowey continued. “So what I want know is how he figured out how to beat someone who can reset time.”

Papyrus glanced from the flower’s twisted smile to his brother, who seemed to be staring blankly ahead, his Nice Cream untouched.

“if you really wanna know…” he finally spoke, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were dark. “why don’t i show you again?”

There was a click as the world flickered. Papyrus was left alone on the cliff, his dessert forgotten in his shaking hands. He willed them to stop, taking several deep breaths and refusing to think about what his brother was doing. He only had to wait; maybe Flowey would learn his lesson this time, and leave them alone. Or better yet, realize this whole ‘kill or be killed’ thing he spouted (sprouted? oh no, Sans’ humor was rubbing off on him) was complete malarkey. He shook his head, wondering where that kind of motto had even come from, and then—

Papyrus blinked, hesitating for just a moment before falling back into his confident march. He stole a glance at his brother, who walked only slightly behind him—good, he hadn’t noticed him falter. The distinct sting of déjà vu was becoming more of a constant background noise than anything anymore, and he knew time would wear away what was still relatively fresh in his mind so he took the moment to reflect on it before he returned to the routine. There’d be plenty more chances for Flowey to realize he could be good, and if anything, before he’d antagonized Sans was proof enough. Papyrus would just have to keep believing in him, and try to make him see that no matter what there was always a chance to do better. After all, it had worked before.

\--

“well, uh, i guess that confirms another human’s gonna fall through,” Sans noted as his eyes swept over the graph taking up the table. It was a long reel marked by tangled lines not unlike the one that had revealed the twisted nature of the timeline in the past, but on a scale none of them had expected. The line representing the flow of time ran smoothly up to a certain point where it then split, doubled back, cut off, and fragmented until eventually there was simply no more data. Gaster was working on recalibrating the machine at the moment, hoping to squeeze more information out of it, but this had been the twenty-third scan of the future they’d done. It was getting hard to believe they would learn much more with this method.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Papyrus asked quietly. “That means we can finally reach the surface!”

“yeah, but…” Sans trailed, gazing at the cutoff where everything went blank. “i dunno. i guess we’ll see, eventually. the whole thing’s just weird. none of the other humans’ resets look anything like this. the timeline’s all over the place, and it never really… stops looping around like that.”

“An anomaly,” Gaster broke in as he strode through the door, “the likes of which we never could have predicted. All the more reason to continue our work on the machine.”

The brothers nodded solemnly.

“But not tonight,” Gaster continued, waving a hand as he studied a few papers. “You two can head home, I’ve got some calculations to wrap up and the scanner’s going to be a bit yet.”

“I also have school!” Papyrus added, raising his hand, and Gaster pointed to him sharply without looking up.

“Correct! We can’t have you skipping that, even in the name of science.”

“you are gonna come home tonight, right dad?” Sans asked, giving him a knowing look.

“Yes, yes, don’t worry. I’ll see you later,” Gaster replied, waving dismissively.

Papyrus gave a short huff, and his brother rolled his eyes. Gaster wasn’t really listening, too wrapped up in his research. Sans looked over at him and shrugged, and the two tidied up the few things they knew their dad would want cleaned before they left. The walk home was fairly quiet until Papyrus spoke up.

“Sans… you don’t think dad’s really going to come home tonight, do you?”

“heh, well, you know how he gets when he’s working on something big,” Sans answered with a shrug. “the time machine… is kind of a really big deal, paps. it’s going to change everything, uh, literally. of course he’s not gonna want to leave it.”

“Yeah…” Papyrus sighed. “I just wish he’d spend more time with us. It’s not the same when you’re both at work.”

Sans nodded slowly, patting his brother’s shoulder. “i know, bro, i know. before you came along, it sucked being all by myself. i was just a little kid, too.”

“Then at least now we have each other!” Papyrus declared brightly, glad to see his brother’s smile turn a little warmer. It seemed to him Sans’ smile, despite being permanent, hadn’t had any real feeling behind it for some time. Not that Sans was entirely unhappy—he just seemed… more worried than usual. Like perhaps… he was having doubts?

The brothers made it home and had a relaxed evening in; Sans helped Papyrus on his homework when he got stuck, and they played a classic monster puzzle-design game together after dinner. Sans let his brother win every time, but Papyrus was glad at least sometimes he’d put up a challenge—it kept it fun. They headed for bed when Sans couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, and then Papyrus lay quietly, listening. He wasn’t tired yet himself—he’d never been one for sleeping much—so he waited, and thought, and hoped.

Gaster didn’t come home. His sons found him hunched over his desk with a pen still in his hand the next morning. Sans was reluctant to disturb him, but Papyrus would have none of it.

“DAD!” he shouted, and the scientist startled awake. He whirled to look at them with bleary eyes, and the brothers stared. And then couldn’t contain their laughter.

“What?” Gaster prompted, brows furrowed slightly.

“you, uh, got a lil’ something here,” Sans managed between chuckles, indicating the upper right half of his skull. “is that how you’re gonna publish?”

“What,” Gaster uttered.

“Your notes! They’re all over your face!” Papyrus revealed, shaking his head as he laughed.

“aw, i was gonna let him go around in suspense,” Sans whined, then shrugged. “oh well. you must’ve fallen asleep before the ink was dry. it really… left a mark.”

“Sans!” Papyrus groaned while their father smiled and shook his head.

“I suppose I should get cleaned up then. Papyrus, didn’t you have school?” Gaster questioned, rising from his chair stiffly.

“Well, yes, I do, but! Not for another fifteen minutes! I wanted to check on you first, since…” Papyrus explained, and their father nodded regretfully.

“I’m sorry, I know I said I would come home, but I got quite involved in studying the timeline last night, and well…” Gaster left off, gesturing at the dried ink staining his skull only to notice there was some on his hand as well. “I think our work’s about to become very interesting.”

“duly noted,” Sans said, and closed his eyes at the dual groans like they were music to his ears.

The week continued on uneventfully; Papyrus worked diligently at school while his dad and brother continued their investigation into the timeline, then he would join them after classes got out until Gaster told them they could go home. He didn’t go with them, electing to sleep overnight on a small cot he’d left for that express purpose after the incident with the ink. Sans was getting to be a decent cook anymore and never minded reading his brother a bedtime story, but Papyrus could tell something was bothering him about all this. One night, Sans finally told him why.

“hey bro,” he started slowly, coming to stand in the living room while Papyrus was reading one of his textbooks. Papyrus looked up at the odd tone of voice, and watched his brother hem and haw over what to say before finally making a start.

“look, uh… i’ve been thinking a lot about the time machine lately.”

“Isn’t it your job to?” Papyrus teased, and his brother laughed.

“heh, yeah, got me there. but, i mean, seriously think about it. i don’t wanna bog you down, but… i’m worried that mess the future turns out to be is gonna be our fault.”

“Impossible! Dad’s calculations are flawless, and he’d never allow anything like that to happen!” Papyrus immediately stated. “If anything went wrong or wasn’t right, he’d put a stop to it.”

“yeah… well…” Sans trailed, looking away. Papyrus saw his eyes vanish before he could shut them. “dad’s let projects get away from him before. he… it’s like he gets too curious, and can’t stop himself. time travel is a really powerful thing, and… in the wrong hands, it’s really dangerous too.”

“What are you even saying, Sans? Do you really think dad is going to go mad with power?” Papyrus scoffed, setting his book aside to fold his arms. “The very thought is absurd! Why, it sounds like bad science fiction, of exactly the sort you like to read.”

“heh, well, that’s what i thought when he told me about the cloning,” Sans muttered, then realized he’d said that aloud. “uh, not that he’s actually done it, of course. that would be weird.”

“Indeed!” Papyrus agreed. “It’s also horribly cliché."

“i know right, i told him that exact same thing.”

Papyrus thought for a bit, drumming his fingers on his arm before shaking his head. “I can just picture it now. The lab is dark for no discernable reason, the only light coming from the tubes dad’s set into the walls. He leans in to inspect, and smiles that smile—you know, the one he gets that makes you wonder if he’s really some kind of cartoon villain. He reaches out to touch the glass…. You know, thinking back now, it’s all very ominous, but at the time I… Sans?”

Sans stood with a strange, intense look on his face.

“Um…? What is it?” Papyrus asked, lowering a brow. “Is that not how cloning’s done?”

“well, uh,” Sans rushed to say. He looked awfully nervous about something. “what made you picture it like that? that’s some pretty specific imagery there. you been readin’ my books?”

Papyrus blew a raspberry, rolling his eyes. “What? No, of course not! I’m not some nerd!”

Sans’ nervous look turned skeptical.

“Okay, I am somewhat of a nerd. And…maybe I read one or two of them.” Papyrus fidgeted, scratching his temple with a finger. “But none were about cloning. It’s just, er… very strange. Um... so... my… ultimate secret… is something I’ve never told anyone, but... I think I should tell it to you now.”

Sans waited, his eyes wide and expectant.

“Well… for some reason… the scene I have relayed to you just now… is my earliest memory?” Papyrus finished, looking up at his brother. He seemed to be having a hard time keeping his eyes lit, and Papyrus mentally backpedaled, hoping he hadn’t upset him too badly. “Of course, that would be silly. I’m sure it was just an oddly specific dream… right?”

Sans seemed to give up on having pupils, and just remained staring stiffly at the floor while sweat beaded on his skull. Papyrus shifted uncomfortably under the growing silence. Was Sans implying what he thought he was implying…?

“Sans I don’t like that look you’re wearing.”

His brother remained oddly quiet.

“… This is another one of your jokes, isn’t it? A clever ploy to delve into my psyche! Yes.”

“… i wish it was, bro,” Sans finally uttered in a very soft voice. It was Papyrus’ turn to stare. More awkward silence stretched between them until it was violently shattered.

“OH. MY. GOD?!” Papyrus shouted, and his brother flinched at the sudden noise.

“papyrus, i’m sorry, i—i never wanted you to find out, i wish i never had—find out we’re…” Sans started, looking devastated, but not for long.

“Do you realize what this means?!” Papyrus bellowed, leaping to run and grab his brother’s shirt with both hands.

“papyrus what are you—”

“ _I have a superhero origin story!”_

“... oh my god.”

“I always knew I was destined for greatness!” Papyrus cheered, almost lifting his brother from the floor in his enthusiasm. “Now, thanks to your heartfelt concerns and unintended revelations, I know my hunch was true!”

Sans looked relieved to say the least when he drew him into a hug, and together they retreated to the couch. They sat quietly for a while, both resting with their heads leaned back to gaze at the ceiling as they thought to themselves and waited to see if the other would speak. Finally, Sans drew a long breath and broke the quiet.

“y’know bro, you took the whole ‘surprise, you’re a science project’ thing way better than i expected,” he admitted. “me, well… not gonna lie, it messed me up. i found out back when we cleaned the lab and i faked being sick the next couple days because i couldn’t deal.”

“Hmm…. Well, it’s bad that you lied, but something like that is a lot to take in,” Papyrus reasoned. “Frankly, I’m relieved—that memory always bothered me, but now I know where it comes from. You mentioned cloning, and I realized that was the only thing that explained it. But I think even dad would tell you we’re not just experiments anymore. You know how he is around his research and he doesn’t treat us that way.”

“…you’re so smart, papyrus. i sure couldn’t figure that out,” Sans said, his smile seeming wistful now. “here i was moping about how maybe we’re not real people and you go and turn it into a superhero thing, that’s so cool. i feel… like a real bonehead.”

Papyrus snorted at the pun. “Well, dad’s the bonehead if he thought he could keep this from us forever! He’s not giving us any credit! He’s not giving anyone credit! He’s being a very bad teacher.”

“oh yeah,” Sans laughed. “he gets an f, for fibbing.”

“Indeed. He lied to us, he lied to—wait, who else knows about this?” Papyrus asked, narrowing his eyes. “This is probably not a thing he would ever speak of.”

“got that right. i have a feeling he’s done a lot he hasn’t told anyone about, not even asgore. the whole cloning thing—it wasn’t just about making copies of a monster like it’s supposed to be—he kinda wanted to see, uh… how strong he could make us,” Sans explained, a hand creeping to faintly clutch at his sternum. “it didn’t work out, but he only quit when it seemed like the king was getting suspicious. he sure didn’t stop because he wanted to.”

“Hmm… I see now why you’re concerned about his work on the time machine. Dad is… more secretive than perhaps he should be, and does things he perhaps should not be doing,” Papyrus surmised, folding his arms.

“yeah,” Sans agreed, giving a short sigh. “we just gotta keep him out of trouble. with how he’s staying at the lab all the time we might as well move there. it’d sure make things easier.”

“I am not moving out there!” Papyrus barked, and his brother laughed.

“heh, didn't think so. and now that i think about it, it’d be like never leaving work and that sounds awful.”

“You saying that doesn’t surprise me in the least. What should we do though?”

“eh, gimme a couple days to think about it,” Sans sighed. “i’ll come up with something. until then, i think we better act like everything’s normal. i don’t think he’d be mad, but he kept this stuff from us for a reason.”

Papyrus nodded. He didn’t like that their dad had been keeping secrets—he was a good guy who only worked for the benefit of all monster kind, so what could be so bad he had to hide it from everyone? Sans was right, there had to be a reason for it all, and maybe if they found out why they could come to an understanding. That’s all Papyrus really wanted, and he was sure Sans did too. He returned to his reading, and Sans got up to make dinner. He was glad it was easy for things to settle back the way they’d been, at least for now.

Papyrus stopped by home on his way to the lab one afternoon, and was stunned to find his brother sitting on the couch. Still in his lab clothes, he was staring blankly ahead, and barely glanced up at him when he entered. Papyrus set his bag down, and warily approached his brother.

“Sans? Are you alright?”

It took him a while to answer. “we’re not working on the time machine anymore.”

“What?!” Papyrus cried, any number of scenarios racing through his head. “Why not? You worked so hard!”

“yeah, well… dad canned it. said he’d come up with something else, a better solution. he wouldn’t tell me what.”

“Oh no…” Papyrus moaned. “Did he find out you were spying on him?”

“i don’t think so…” Sans answered with a shrug. “dunno. either way he sent me home early and said i could have the next few days off until he needed my help again.”

Papyrus frowned, and paced the room. “What are we going to do?!”

“i think we can only wait, bro. i don’t like it either but i don’t see what choice we have. i might go over the theory, see if i can find anything that would explain why he’d cancel it like that, but…” Sans left off, shrugging again. Papyrus didn’t like seeing him so listless.

“Not to worry, brother! Between the two of us we can figure out what’s going on! Now, think—what was the latest thing you noticed while you were at work today? It may give us a clue about what’s happened.”

Sans blinked, then squinted as he thought. “well… the machine’s definitely getting close to being finished—well, it was. the calculations are all pretty much hammered out, and i mean, the fact we can scan the timeline is proof enough it’s a thing, so it’s not like there’s doubt there. it’s like… he thought of something he hadn’t considered before that would change the whole project.”

Papyrus tapped a finger to his jaw. “What could be better than a time machine at doing time machine things?”

“… i have a guess, but i really hope i’m wrong. dad’s gotta be smarter than that,” Sans answered. “let me do some more digging and i’ll get back to you on that. ok?”

“Ah yes, collecting evidence. A vital step in the development of any hypothesis,” Papyrus stated, and was glad to see some worry leave his brother’s face.

“yup, you got it bro. that’s exactly what we have to do. it looks like dad might be getting in over his head, but there was that one time we thought he’d disappeared when really he’d just holed up to watch human tv shows for four days straight. ultimately… we don’t know what’s going on, so we better not judge until we have more facts.”

It was sound logic, and it was kind of nice to have Sans around more than usual even if it meant their dad might be making a terrible mistake. Papyrus didn’t like the looks his brother would wear when he came home from investigating the lab; either he didn’t like what he was finding, or he wasn’t finding anything. Papyrus could only wait, and try to focus in class even when the teacher was droning something about science he’d learned from his dad years ago.

Papyrus glanced at the clock, his head propped up on his hand as he waited for the minutes to pass by. He normally tried to be every inch the perfect student, always attentive and ready to raise his hand at a moment’s notice, but today it was simply not happening. Yes, he knew about the forces of motion, could they simply get on with it? An agonizing ten minutes were left and the teacher showed no signs of stopping. He let his gaze wander around the classroom, then glanced at the clock again—surely five minutes had passed.

There were thirty minutes left.

Papyrus stared. There was a strange pounding sensation in his head, like two misaligned pieces of a puzzle being forced together. He didn’t think there’d been that much time left, when did they get out anyway? He double checked the planner as quietly as he could—no, there were definitely thirty minutes left. He must’ve been daydreaming that it was later than it really was. This class was certainly a drag today, but he had to make an effort no matter how boring it was. After what felt like a doubly long and boring lecture, the bell finally rang and he practically skipped to the next class.

The day continued to seem oddly lengthy and tedious. Sometimes Papyrus even thought he’d gone to lunch, only to look up from his desk and see he hadn’t made it through the first class yet. He wasn’t usually this daydreamy! What was going on?

Yet another phantom lunch period danced in his memory, and Papyrus set his pencil down with a snap. He smiled awkwardly as his peers gave him questioning looks, trying not to give anything away. They didn’t act like there was anything weird going on--he’d expect more confused blinking or pencil dropping. He went over the day’s events in his head, and that pounding sensation came back; for an instant, memories danced in double, triple, multiple images like reflections in a faceted glass before the duplicates fell away and he was left remembering only one reality.

It finally came to him: something was happening with time. His dad had gotten something to work just like he’d said and was testing it out. Papyrus wanted to yell at him for making an already dull school day even longer than necessary, but that would have to wait until he got home—provided Gaster let him get that far. He grumbled under his breath, and a tense, nervous energy buzzed in his soul; the world hitched and he forgot why he felt that way, only to realize it anew. He took a deep breath, and reminded himself that repeating results were just a normal part of the scientific process and that his dad was only doing a thorough job. Well, maybe Papyrus could help. While the teacher was handing out papers (for the second time?), he leaned over to the catlike monster seated next to him.

“Does anything seem… weird today?”

The cat furrowed their brow and shrugged. “No? Why?”

“It just feels weirdly long to me, like we’ve been here for hours,” Papyrus elaborated, and they pulled a face.

“I know the feeling. It seems like it’s going fast to me though,” the cat replied, shrugging a shoulder, and Papyrus turned back as his paper was set on the desk. A B, just as he’d… expected? Remembered? He wasn’t sure anymore. But it seemed like he was the only one who’d noticed anything so far. How odd. He asked his peers again if they’d noticed anything, and the answer was always the same: no. It was just an average day for everyone except him.

And how it dragged. By the time he finally did get out, Papyrus was in a mood. He didn’t like being angry, especially not at his family, but today had been exceptionally long and confusing and his patience had worn thin. Scientific process or not, Gaster would be hearing his grievances as soon as they reunited, which he hoped would be tonight. He marched home, and Sans sat up from reading on the couch when the door banged open under his hand, his eyes wide at the dark expression his younger brother wore.

“whoa paps, looks like something really… got under your skin,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“We don’t have skin!” Papyrus snapped, then regretted his harshness. Sans was only trying to help, he shouldn’t have been so cruel. “Sorry. Bad day.”

“aw man. what’s up?”

“Well… did you notice anything weird today?” Papyrus replied. “Like, did it seem weirdly long to you or anything like that?”

Sans’ brows furrowed as he thought, then shook his head. “nah, sorry bro. day’s been pretty normal for me.”

“…I see. I guess maybe today’s lessons were exceptionally boring,” Papyrus said with a frown. He set his bag at the kitchen table and dug into it to begin his homework, and an easy quiet settled in. Sans turned back to his reading, and Papyrus tackled his homework with the feeling he knew the material really well. Most of it was pretty easy anyway, though he always got marks on his papers for going on tangents and what he thought were perfectly sensible sentences. It was a small point of contention for him, but he always got points for trying—and he always tried his best.

He wrote the final answer on his history worksheet and looked it over with satisfaction. Finally! He’d made it through three consecutive hours without being plagued by a sense of déjà vu or mismatched memories. Gaster had moved on from testing whatever it was he was doing, and his earlier frustration was already fading. What had he even been so worked up about?

Class had just started, and the history teacher was already handing out that night’s homework. Papyrus looked it over with the feeling he’d done it before, tucked it in his bag for later, and spent the rest of the day more or less internally screaming. It was a feat because he wasn’t shy of screaming externally, but given there were no obvious reasons to be screaming, he’d look extremely foolish if he went around yelling his head off. So he grinned, and answered questions politely, and was very much the cool, collected, definitely-not-upset-at-all person his classmates regarded him as.

By the end of the day (this time?), Papyrus was just bored and tired. He trudged home, had a vaguely familiar conversation with Sans about having a bad day, and sat down to do his homework (again?) at the kitchen table. He’d barely gotten started when the front door clattered open, and for the first time in weeks, their father came home.

“Dad!” Papyrus yelled, leaping to greet him, and even Sans tossed his book aside as he rose from his spot on the couch. Gaster pulled both his sons into a hug, and Papyrus noted how tired he looked, but equally overjoyed. “How was work? Did you discover anything new?”

“I believe so, yes,” Gaster replied, patting his youngest son’s skull. “It needs far more testing though, quite a bit more.”

“i take it i’m coming back to work, huh?” Sans asked, actually sounding excited. Papyrus knew he’d been getting bored.

“Er, no. I’m sorry, Sans, but I… don’t need your help on this particular project. Though… if there’s something else you’d like to pursue, you are welcome to it,” Gaster offered, drawing back.

“hm, uh, then i’m gonna work on the time machine. still don’t know why you dropped it,” Sans answered, but Gaster shook his head.

“No. Despite our previous calculations, with further investigation I discovered it never would have worked. Little point in wasting any more resources on it now.”

Sans looked ready to argue his point, but decided against it with a shrug. “eh, whatever. i’ll think of something else.”

“Sorry,” Gaster added, almost as an afterthought, but Sans just shrugged again and returned to the couch. Papyrus gave him a sympathetic frown; Sans wasn’t the most expressive person but it was obvious how disappointed he was—at least to him. Gaster was usually a little more tactful.

“So…” Papyrus began nervously, “what’s for dinner? You should try the quiche Sans made the other night, it was amazing!”

Sans perked up a bit, which did not go unnoticed by his younger brother. Success.

“I’m sorry I missed it, but you both know I’ve been terribly busy,” Gaster sighed. “I’ll think of something, give me a moment.”

He patted Papyrus’ shoulder and headed into the kitchen to get started. After a moment watching him go, Papyrus realized he hadn’t done his homework yet and followed him in. Sans was a good brother, but it was nice to have company besides him for once. As he filled in his worksheet, the vague sense he’d answered these questions before faded as a pan simmered on the stove, and the savory smell of whatever Gaster had decided to cook filled the air. Sans made his way in to alternate between helping and bugging them both, and Papyrus felt things were stabilizing for the first time in ages. He looked up from his work for a moment to watch as Sans tried adding ketchup to a dish that decidedly didn’t need it, and Gaster snatched the bottle out of his hands to dangle at an unfair height over his head. As he laughed at their antics, Papyrus wondered why they’d been so worried.

Gaster was home every night after that, asking them how their days had gone over dinner, discussing new books or theories with them; it was almost like old times again and Papyrus didn’t mind his days feeling extra-long or stuttery, or that Gaster wouldn’t tell them what he was actually working on. It had to be wonderful if he was keeping them in suspense like this. He could tell Sans didn’t feel the same way.

“Sans! Weren’t you going to the lab today?” he asked one afternoon, and his brother shrugged from where he lounged on the couch.

“eh, doc said i could come back when i had an idea, but, i haven’t thought of anything yet. guess that’s what i get for only thinking about the time machine for so long.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something! There’s bound to be more ways to help people than making a time machine,” Papyrus assured him. “In the meantime, why don’t you help me with the crossword? These words… are making me cross!”

His joke only got a half-hearted chuckle, but Papyrus was glad to see his brother get up and join him at the table even if he wasn’t really feeling it. If he could do anything to keep him happy, he’d do it. They went through each hint on the crossword together, and Papyrus ignored the feeling he’d answered most of these before as the boxes filled in. The puzzle was nearly complete when the front door clattered open—Gaster was home early.

He never came home early.

“’sup dad? they send you home for working too hard?” Sans teased as the tall scientist bustled in, looking exhausted as usual but wearing a broad smile.

“Something like that! I’ve discovered a far more efficient way of running my data,” Gaster replied, casting off the cloak he always wore. “You two can expect to see me home far more frequently, I promise.”

“That’s wonderful!” Papyrus cried, running to hug him. Gaster swept him up in his arms and hugged him close—it seemed he’d missed this just as much as Papyrus had.

A week passed where Gaster hardly seemed to work at all. He’d leave in the morning, an hour or so would pass, and then he’d be back home again and only call to check on the Core occasionally. And yet he still seemed to be making progress—even if he wouldn’t explain what, exactly, he was making progress on. Papyrus wasn’t going to complain—the days remained strange and stuttering, but he relished all the time they spent together now.

They went on an outing to Snowdin, and Gaster had the foresight to pack rain boots for them when it turned out to be an unusually warm day and the roads were nothing but mud and slush. Papyrus got an odd feeling on their afternoon walk through the forest; usually so careful of his footing, even Sans stepped on a sticky patch of mud and would have slipped had he worn his sneakers, but the boots Gaster insisted he wore held fast and saved him from a hard landing. The rest of their stay went without a hitch or hint of trouble; it was the most organized Papyrus could remember their father being, and if he was honest, it was a change for the better.

Gaster was always doing things like that now. He’d set aside items like books or toys they’d come looking for later, answer questions almost before they could get them out; it was uncanny sometimes, the precision to which he knew things. Papyrus supposed that’s just what happened with time travel, but he could tell it was getting on Sans’ nerves, and one day it would come to a head.

He wasn’t expecting it to be a day when they’d all gone out to do some shopping and had otherwise had a nice time. They’d gotten new clothes—Papyrus was looking forward to showing his new duds off at school—and stocked up on groceries Papyrus didn’t think they’d use but apparently needed anyway.

“so dad, you’ve been keeping us in the dark, and considering we all live in a cave that’s a feat,” Sans started as they sat in a café for lunch. “what’s so efficient you only have to spend an hour on it every day, and where do i sign up?”

“I’m running calculations,” Gaster answered swiftly. “The computer does most of the work, so I haven’t needed to do anything more than collect the data in the morning and start another cycle. It’s been very… liberating.”

“Yeah!” Papyrus interjected cheerfully, “it’s been great having you home so much. I bet Mr. Asgore’s pretty happy too, he always said you needed more vacations.”

“Indeed he did,” Gaster replied flatly—his workaholic nature was showing again. “I hope to have this round of experiments concluded soon, and then yes Sans, you’ll be able to rejoin me in the lab.”

Sans blinked. “i was just gonna ask—that’s great. to be honest, it’s been nice not working, but i’ve actually gotten bored.”

“I know,” Gaster quipped, remaining focused on the soup he’d ordered. “Not to worry. I’m afraid it won’t be time travel we’re working on but it’s still the fundamental elements of our world.”

Sans studied him, then narrowed his eyes and looked away. He poked at the crumbs on his plate a while before he spoke again. “you’ve got it all figured out, huh dad? not to be rude but judging by the look on your face, this conversation’s pretty boring.”

“Sorry, I just have other things on my mind,” Gaster replied swiftly, and Papyrus caught the nervous darting of his eyes.

“sure ya do, you’re the royal scientist,” Sans continued, drumming his fingers on the table. “but i guess it’d also be pretty boring if you’d already heard all this before. but that shouldn't be possible, right?”

“I never said time travel is impossible,” Gaster retorted, and Sans only looked more unimpressed.

“neither did i.”

Papyrus didn’t like the tense turn the conversation had taken—as far as he was concerned there was no reason for it to be tense in the first place, but Gaster was getting defensive and his brother was taking it and running.

“so, how’d you do it? you’ve been time traveling this whole time, haven’t you?”

Gaster remained silent.

“i’ve kinda suspected something was up as soon as you canceled the machine… and said you found something else.”

“It’s none of your concern,” Gaster replied shortly, and Sans’ eyes snapped wide.

“none of my concern? seriously? dad. you’re the one who came to ME about time travel. this is my life’s work, pal, practically what you hired me for. you’re really gonna say your time traveling is none of my business right to my face?”

“M-maybe he didn’t want you to worry!” Papyrus piped up nervously. “You’ve said time travel is dangerous, so…”

“yeah, bro, but… that’s why we’ve gotta study it together. keep an eye socket out for each other,” Sans replied, looking pointedly at his father. “make sure no one’s doing anything that’ll get ‘em killed… or… using stuff they know is unsafe. ‘cause last i checked, monsters and determination don’t mix.”

The spoon clacked down hard on the table as Gaster glared at his oldest son.

Papyrus sat patiently at the kitchen table while Sans fixed him his favorite oatmeal. Gaster had just left for work, but it wouldn’t be long before he was back and they’d head out on the shopping excursion he’d promised yesterday. But something felt… off, even more than the usual sense of déjà vu. Papyrus furrowed his brows as he tried to piece together what had happened, but a clunk interrupted his thoughts—he looked over and found Sans had set the bowl down and was staring at the wall.

“Sans?”

“… eh, just spaced out for a sec. hope you’re ready for the best bowl of oatmeal you’ve ever had bro, it’s seriously amazing.”

“No Sans. Something’s wrong.”

Sans turned to look at him, quietly studying his face. “… i get it. dad, right?”

Papyrus nodded. Sans looked back down, drumming his fingers on the countertop.

“so, you think it’s weird too. sure, it’s been nice having him home almost all the time now, but…. after that day you asked if i noticed anything strange, i’ve been keeping an even closer eye on things…” he trailed, pausing to finish the oatmeal and bring it to the table. “i think dad figured out how to time travel without the machine.”

Papyrus had a very strong sense that this had not only been discussed before, but led to something bad. He poked absently at his oatmeal, feet kicking as he considered what to say. “I… think you perhaps shouldn’t say anything. He’s keeping secrets again…”

“you can say that again,” Sans huffed, then managed a chuckle. “well… if this is true, chances are you already have. if i’m honest, when i said i spaced out… i actually had the feeling dad was mad at me but had no idea why. which, that and… what you just said... suggests i’ve already confronted him. and it didn’t go well.”

Papyrus frowned. “What should we do, brother?”

Sans sighed, looking lost. “dunno. we’ve tried keeping an eye out, and it didn’t do anything. dad still went and did something dangerous, and now it seems like he’s avoiding any consequences about it. long story short, dad’s being a bonehead.”

Papyrus couldn’t resist a laugh, and the joke gave him an idea. “Aha! If we just tell him that, then he’ll stop! He’ll realize he’s being completely ridiculous and let us help him again.”

“heh, good thinking bro. we gotta do something, or else… nah. when he gets back, he’s getting a real talking-to, how about it?”

“Oh yeah,” Papyrus grinned. No more would they leave their father to get into mischief on his own! For such a genius, he sure could be foolish sometimes; it was a good thing he had them to set him straight. Papyrus dug into his breakfast happily, looking forward to the day again.

Gaster didn’t come home like he’d said he would. The brothers had exchanged looks as the usual time came and went, and after another two hours had passed Sans shrugged on his lab coat and went to investigate. Papyrus stayed home and tried to keep himself busy with puzzles, but as the minutes dragged into another hour, he found himself anxiously pacing the room and cleaning already spotless bookshelves and tables. He was seriously considering giving the carpet a deep-clean when Sans finally clattered in, his brows furrowed.

“Well?!”

“couldn’t find him. nobody at the core’s seen him, he wasn’t in the lab. i, uh, even checked some places we’re not supposed to know about. nothing. i haven’t exactly scoured the whole underground, but it’s pretty weird he’s not in like, the two places he should be.”

“Hmm,” Papyrus grunted. “So much for our shopping day. And our lecture on the dangers of time travel. It seems we’ll merely have to wait for his return!”

“i’m cool with that,” Sans agreed with a shrug.

Afternoon passed quietly, and evening fell with no sign of the scientist until long after they’d gone to bed. Papyrus listened to the front door close softly over his brother’s snoring, and footsteps pad down the hall to their father’s room; he comforted himself with the fact that at least Gaster had come home for the night rather than continue his bad habit of sleeping at work. But who knew what tomorrow would bring.

Gaster started staying at work throughout the day again, and the world stopped shuddering so often. Papyrus decided that whatever had happened that they couldn’t remember had effectively done what they wanted to do anyway, so he settled back into the routine of school, playing with friends, and keeping his brother from getting too lazy. Sure, there were some days he recovered from a skip feeling something horrible had happened, but he could never recall what. So he didn’t pay it any mind. And the nightmares just meant he wouldn’t sleep—he’d never needed much to begin with, so that was okay.

He stayed quiet when Sans awoke with a start one morning, long before it was time to get ready for the day. His brother sat up slowly in his bed and rubbed at his eyes, a slight rattle betraying him. So he was having nightmares too. Their eyes met, and the two froze for a moment.

“paps? you’re awake? go to sleep kiddo, you’ve got school in like… ugh, two hours.”

“I know.”

“so…?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“pff. you need me to start reading you bedtime stories again?”

“Ugh! No way! I’m too old for that!” Papyrus protested, managing a smile. “Why don’t you go to sleep, you’re the one always snoozing!”

“believe it or not, but i’m having trouble sleeping too. which is quite a feat. normally, i can do it… with my eyes closed.”

Papyrus groaned as he rolled over, but was secretly pleased with the chuckles that rose from his brother.

“welp. i can’t believe i’m saying this but there’s not much point to going back to sleep when we’d just be getting up in half an hour anyway. got anything you want for breakfast?”

“Hmm… waffles! It’s been a while since we had those, hasn’t it?”

“yup. sounds good to me. i’ll get ‘em started then.”

Before Sans could rise from his bed, there was a sharp knock on their door, and their father poked his head in, looking grave.

“Ah, you’re both awake. I want you both to listen very carefully, it’s imperative—a human has been reported.”

“whoa, really?”

Papyrus was too shocked to say anything.

“Yes. Its whereabouts are currently unknown, so the King has ordered everyone to stay inside and let the Royal Guard take care of it. He… has also requested my presence, to observe it. I don’t expect to be gone long, but, you both must stay here. Keep the door locked, do not go out for any reason—no matter what you may hear. Please…” Gaster begged, looking distraught, and Papyrus leapt to hug him.

“No! Don’t go, tell Asgore it’s too dangerous! Stay with us, please…”

Gaster patted his skull. “Oh, how I wish I could, but I have a duty to the king. Don’t worry, the Guard will have it under control. It will all be over soon. Just… try to have a nice time until then.”

He held an arm out, beckoning Sans into a hug as well, and for a moment the small family was quiet and close in a way they hadn’t been in too long. Then, Gaster released them, and left to gather his things. They held onto one another as they watched him go, waving as the door closed behind him for what could be the last time.

Everyone knew how dangerous humans were.

“So much for school,” Papyrus finally huffed as he turned towards the kitchen.

“yep. if i were you, i’d be celebrating the day off. though, considering it’s because of a human… well, maybe celebrating isn’t the right word,” Sans said, following him in to get started on breakfast. “dad sure looked nervous. he’s seen humans before, a long time ago, so he knows…”

Papyrus nodded somberly. Sans kept the mood from getting too grim while he cooked with puns he’d used a hundred times before, but as morning passed, a sense of dread lingered over the household. Gaster had said it wouldn’t take long, but it was approaching noon… Papyrus tried not to look at the clock after that, and buried himself in reviewing his homework. Sans was furiously calculating something himself, only to sigh hours later and crumple up his paper and toss it into the trash with perfect form.

After lunch, they put in one of the worn tapes they’d found in the dump years ago. Some old human cartoon, it barely worked and the voices were warped beyond comprehension, but they’d always made up their own stories to go with what few images had survived. Despite being a human cartoon, the characters were all animals, which had always given Papyrus the feeling that perhaps humans and monsters could be friends… but that was silly. Here they were, hiding from one now.

A scream sounded out sometime mid-afternoon. Papyrus froze, listening; Sans was asleep on the couch and hadn’t noticed, the tape murmured in the background, and there was nothing else. He grit his teeth, and turned the movie off to go curl up against Sans’ side. His shivers woke him up.

“wh—oh, hey paps. you’re looking… a little rattled.”

“Sans, please…”

“ok, ok… i get it. i’m worried too. but… hey. if dad really can go back in time, if anything went wrong, don’t you think he’d be able to fix it?”

“… Oh… Oh yeah! He could go back and warn everyone!” Papyrus said, brightening up. He hadn’t noticed any flickering, so everything must be going okay. “I’m sure he’s fine then! But I don’t like sitting around doing nothing…”

“i know bro. i’ve gotten kinda anxious myself. tell ya what. if he’s not back by dinner, we’ll go look for him. ok?”

“He told us not to leave…”

“yep.”

“It could be—it’s dangerous out there!”

“yep. what, are you scared?”

“Y—no! I’m not afraid of anything! I’m—I have the best magic, and the best brother!”

“that’s right,” Sans affirmed, closing his eyes. “no one can beat us when we work together, right? i’ve got your backbone all the way. if it comes to it… that human won’t know what hit ‘em.”

“Indeed! Perhaps the human… has captured him, cruelly bargaining with his life for their desires!” Papyrus mused playfully. “Helpless against their power, it’s up to two dashing heroes, who are also his sons, to rescue him! Nyeh heh!”

“yup, i bet that’s exactly it. what do you want for dinner, anyway?”

“No! I can’t bear to think of waiting any longer! Let’s go Sans, dad needs us!”

Papyrus dragged his brother from the couch by the hand and led him out onto silent city streets. Their footsteps echoed hollowly, and that sense of dread crept back as they investigated. There was no one else out and about. No one in the shops, no guards mobilizing. It was empty.

All of New Home was empty.

Papyrus clung to his brother’s sleeve as they walked towards Hotland, and Sans kept him close. He had a horrible feeling they were the last monsters alive, and even a power like time travel hadn’t saved their father. But Sans piped up, interrupting his thoughts.

“ok bro. i’ve been thinking a lot this whole time. i don’t mean to scare ya, but i gotta be serious a moment, ok?”

“Go on.”

“ok. i think it’s pretty clear… this human hated monsters. and they’re strong. of course, if humans can reset time like our reports show… then they have an unfair advantage. they can just keep trying until everything works out and they win, right? so, i’ve been thinking… what kind of strategy can work against a being like that?”

“…Hmm…”

Sans looked away nervously before continuing. “yeah, so… i figured, we gotta tire them out. make them so frustrated they just give up. it’s… not gonna be pretty. but we have to make them sick of losing, so they don’t come back. get it?”

“I believe so…” Papyrus nodded. “Or, we show them monsters can be nice! That they don’t have to fight! That’d be good too, right? Maybe they don’t know how to spare someone!”

“well, yeah, but at this point… never mind paps, that’s a great idea. let’s hope it works, ‘cause i really don’t wanna do the other thing.”

The elevator ride to the lab was quiet, and the lab itself was silent and dark. It didn’t seem like anyone had been there all day, but Papyrus caught the nervous glance his brother cast at the timeline chart posted on the walls. That black nothingness at its end loomed.

They found Gaster in the Core.

He stood at the end of a catwalk, staring contemplatively into the yellowish steam that billowed up from the structure’s lowest level. He didn’t notice them at first, turning and approaching with a grim purpose in his stride until he looked up, and his sockets met theirs. He stopped in his tracks, and for a moment the family simply stared at one another.

“I thought I told you two to stay home.”

Papyrus felt a chill run through him. There was something distant and harsh in his father’s voice he’d never heard before, and he studied them coolly with arms folded behind his back. He’d wanted nothing more than to run and embrace him, but now…

“and we did,” Sans offered brightly. Gaster wasn’t amused.

“Hm. No matter. No sense in delaying it any longer then.”

“uh. what—”

Bones stabbed viciously from the floor. Papyrus felt arms hook around his middle and haul him back to barely avoid the hit. They stumbled to the catwalk together, and Papyrus could feel his brother shaking behind him as he pushed him up again. Gaster’s expression was stony, unchanged—despite what he’d just tried to do. Papyrus couldn’t understand—was this some kind of test?

“…ok what the hell dad?” Sans spat; apparently he shared similar sentiments.

Gaster didn’t react, choosing to attack again by sending bones from the sides. Papyrus found himself shoved forward this time, and though he appreciated Sans’ concern he wasn’t made of glass—he was one of the toughest monsters in his class, he could take it! He tried to communicate this by casting a glare back at his brother, only to notice how angry he looked.

“i dunno what got into that thick skull of yours, dad, so mind explaining what’s going on?”

Sans’ words were met by more silence and yet another attack. Conjured hands circled around them, quickly closing in from all sides. Papyrus finally shook off his daze to act, putting a bone through every one before they could reach his brother—only to miss one coming for him. It connected with his shoulder and tore into his health, sending him to his knees gasping from the shock. Sans helped him stand once he’d caught his breath before turning to cast a dark glare at their father.

“if you do have a reason, maybe i don’t wanna hear it. hurting your own kids this badly? that’s pretty messed up any way you look at it. it’s not science, so what’s the point? what are you trying to prove?” he snapped, stepping forward to put himself between their father and Papyrus.

Gaster snorted. “It is, in fact, science. I am only being thorough. If you had the chance to explore every possibility, wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t you want to see what happens? Wouldn’t you want to test the limits of what’s possible with no fear of failure? That is what I am doing.”

Sans scrutinized him before speaking again. “… so because you could… you thought you had to? that’s it? that’s the only reason… you went through with this?”

“No, of course not,” Gaster replied shortly. “This is but the latest iteration of the only experiment I’ve conducted since the dawn of my career. Power, Sans. The power to break the barrier and erase humanity, to take back what we’ve been denied. I vowed to do whatever it took, and if that means acquiring a previously unseen Level Of Violence, so be it. If this power is enough to break the barrier, I’ll then investigate whether LOVE can be increased artificially.”

“because you can just reset and it’ll all be like nothing happened, and that makes it all okay, right? yeah, don’t look so surprised i figured out what you’ve been doing.”

“You were always quick to catch on,” Gaster noted, but without the hint of pride that normally accompanied such a statement. “But yes. I have already taken the humans’ power for my own, and soon I’ll have the power to destroy the barrier—but not forever of course. There’d be no point in freeing an empty kingdom. It’s simple.”

“that’s assuming it works. If it doesn’t, you get to live with knowing you killed everyone for no reason. congrats. really innovative work here, dad.”

Gaster sneered with disappointment. “I didn’t expect you to understand. No matter. Just hold still, it will all be over soon.”

He summoned another array of phantom hands, and this time Sans knocked them out before they came anywhere close to them. Papyrus looked to him as he gave a breathy, nervous laugh and hugged him closer.

“S… Sans? He didn’t… he didn’t really—did he? What’s wrong with him, why is he acting like this?”

Sans leaned with hands on his knees. “i didn’t think he’d go for the biggest mad scientist cliché of them all. megalomania, bro. ha, oh god… never let me be a comedian, ‘cause i have the worst timing. but what he’s got… is mega-LOV-ania.”

Beams of light shocked past, and they barely dodged. Gaster’s own special attacks—long, narrow things with oblong eye sockets and jagged teeth—hovered at the scientist’s shoulders before he dismissed them and awaited his children’s moves indifferently. The fight had really begun.

Papyrus tried, he really did. He kept their father’s attacks at bay while Sans struck with a fury he’d never shown before and used his magic’s weakness to its full effect—each bone did so little damage individually they never triggered a soul’s natural defenses. Stacked into dozens with no chance to recover, and their damage added up to frightening totals Papyrus didn’t like thinking about. But it was the only edge Sans had, and as their father’s counterattacks grew more elaborate they needed every trick they had.

Something hit him in the back, and he fell. He tried to hang on—he couldn’t leave Sans to fight alone, he was counting on him! But the world swam, there was a thundering light—

And they were back on the catwalk, about to have the same fight and same speeches and same horrific realizations. Papyrus shook, holding back while his brother stepped forward to confront their father, but knew he’d have to join eventually. They had no choice. They had to make Gaster give up.

Gaster seemed to anticipate their moves, but still couldn’t get past Papyrus’ defenses or avoid all of Sans’ traps. He was good, but they were better. The world flickered, shuddered, stopped and started again and again, and as it wore on, an enduring sensation built in Papyrus' heart.

This had to stop.

They stood on the catwalk, Gaster's voice echoing hollowly as he and Sans exchanged words Papyrus was certain he'd heard before but couldn't remember. Something needed to change. He had to act. He had to save their dad from making the worst mistake of his life. He... was filled with determination.

He took a step forward--then sprinted. He closed the distance quickly, before Gaster could do anything, and tackled the scientist's legs in the tightest hug his shaking arms could manage. His father stumbled a bit, taken aback, but he held firm.

"... What are you doing?" he asked coldly.

"Helping you!" Papyrus replied. "Helping you stop. Because, you can! I know you can! We can not do this, and, go home and all be happy together and not fight."

Gaster seemed to contemplate something. "I have a lot of work to do."

"So?! Isn't your family more important than that?"

"... y-yeah dad," Sans started, and Papyrus could hear him cautiously approach. "you, uh, you worked really hard today already. and i know it's hard putting all that aside, but... c'mon... you don't even know if it's gonna pay off. do you really want this on your conscious?"

Gaster's mouth twitched. At least he was listening. "... It's far too late for that."

"No it's not! Even if you think you're a bad person now... you can change! It's not too late, especially for someone who can time travel!"

Gaster studied him, but said nothing. Papyrus wasn't sure he was getting through, but they had to keep trying.

"dad... listen. i know you wanna break the barrier as much as the next guy. maybe more so. but... this isn't the way to do it. our reports, the anomaly--what if it's our fault? what if all this gets you is the end of the timeline?"

Gaster looked up quickly and scoffed. "My calculations--which have never been wrong in any significant manner--have indicated no such thing. No variable I could tweak would result in such an event."

It was Sans' turn to scoff as he narrowed his eyes. "how can you be sure? you could run into a variable you didn't even know about that wipes it all out--do you really want to be responsible for that? for how much you want to help monsters, you're awful willing to risk everyone's lives."

"Yeah dad... it's really, really not worth it!" Papyrus spoke up, squeezing his dad tightly. "What if you destroy everything and can't get it back even if you time travel?"

Gaster seemed unimpressed. "You two don't think I've considered this all before?"

"you think i haven't?!" Sans exclaimed, pressing his fingers into his chest as he spoke. "this was ALL i studied, all i dreamed about--you think i haven't also run the numbers a hundred times? considered every paradox and time loop and thought experiment myself? but you won't even let me check your math, like i'm some--some--some layperson who doesn't understand, who's not smart enough. you won't trust your own kid, but--but you will kill 'em, huh? for absolutely no reason besides your own curiosity."

Something sparked in Papyrus' mind. He looked from Sans, back up to his dad, and took a deep breath. He had to hope this would work. He was determined.

"Dad... your experiments have had unexpected outcomes before, right? You can't predict everything, even if you try--and maybe you're really, really good at predicting, and that's amazing! But you study things because you don't really know what will happen. You... you didn't know what would happen when you made us, right?"

Gaster's eyes widened with shock, and he pulled away to stare at Papyrus. "How... how did you find out about that?"

"Sans found the files. He thought I would be upset and didn't tell me at first, but he slipped up and I figured it out, but--yeah! You made two whole monsters using science, and that's amazing! You're amazing! We're amazing!!! Except, you're being slightly less amazing now... but you can be better! I know you can!"

He turned back to look at Sans, who seemed almost as surprised as Gaster had been--but then he met his brother's eyes and nodded. "yeah dad. you... you've done some pretty crazy stuff. maybe some things you shouldn't have. but compared to this... those were pretty low-risk, ultimately. either you created monsters with determination, or you didn't. not exactly fate-of-the-world stuff. but this...? is throwing all that away. even if you don't end the world, you'll have to live with the fact you destroyed your own family, all your hard work--for what?

"the barrier didn't even shudder when you threw all the power of the core at it. what's some monster with a level of violence going to do to it?"

Gaster seemed to think, but hesitantly. "It takes a powerful soul to..."

"no. you know that's not right. you figured that out yourself years ago," Sans retorted. "it's a one-to-one ratio. no matter how high your LOVE or determination is, it's not a human soul. it's... this is all completely pointless."

Papyrus looked back up at Gaster and nodded. "Please dad. This isn't helping anyone. It's... pretty much the exact opposite of helping. You'd destroy the best thing you ever made... for something that probably won't work anyway. So! Be the brilliant good smart person you are, and! Don't!"

Gaster stared at them for a while, then his gaze fell, eyes darting as he thought. Sans took a few steps closer to hold Papyrus close, and they waited together. They could only hope their arguments had worked... but Gaster had determination.

Then again, so did they.

Finally, Gaster sighed. For the first time, true emotion tugged at his face--he seemed torn, with brows furrowed and smile taut. He clenched and unclenched his hands, but didn't seem to be preparing an attack.

"I... could not be prouder of you two."

Papyrus released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"You are... I'm an utter fool. I had convinced myself this would work, that it would be worth it... but no. I have already poisoned the memories of many of my other colleagues and friends, and doing that to you two... every bedtime story, every science lesson, every magic practice... No. You're right. I deserved every time you killed me, Sans, for what I've done. If you ever fight a human, you'll... you'll not be an easy fight. And Papyrus, you... you're incredible. Your coordination, your attention to detail... and... your faith in me, well..." Gaster closed his eyes. "I can only hope I live up to your expectations. I think it's time I put resets behind me. I've learned enough to fuel my research for years. I... don't have to complete this experiment. I think I've realized what the end result would be anyway."

Papyrus beamed, and broke away from Sans to wrap his dad in a hug once more. Gaster knelt to return it properly; Papyrus looked back to see Sans was keeping his distance, but looked relieved.

It had worked.

"Thank you, Papyrus," Gaster said, his voice trembling even more than it normally did. "Thank you."

The world stuttered.

Papyrus was in his bed. He hadn't been able to sleep to begin with, but suddenly feeling overcome with a sensation of--oh. Oh, he _remembered_ this one. Not the whole day--the beginning was blurry. But later... Oh, Gaster...

And Sans was stumbling up too, clearly shaken. He sat on the edge of his bed with his eyes dark, head in his hands as he rattled, his breathing hard--and then he noticed Papyrus was up and tried to hide it as he admonished him.

"paps? you’re awake? go to sleep kiddo, you’ve got school in like… ugh, two hours."

"I know. Are you okay?"

Sans squinted. "... sure. just... had a nightmare, bro. let's, uh, try and get a little more rest before you gotta head out, ok?"

"I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to," Papyrus admitted, but pulled a smile. "That's okay though! I don't need sleep!"

Sans himself seemed too tired to argue, just shaking his head instead. He rubbed at his eyes, then let his arm flop back down.

"well, maybe you don't, but i'm gonna take a few. dunno why, but i feel like i... ran a marathon or something."

"That does sound like a nightmare you would have!" Papyrus joked, and finally got a real smile out of his brother as he crawled back into bed.

"yup. you know me too well, bro. uh.. goodnight...? good morning? ... eh, time isn't real. see ya later," he mumbled, and was back snoring shortly.

Papyrus sighed, and laid back down himself. If he was honest, he still felt tired too--not physically, but, like his soul had been put through the wringer, which maybe wasn't too far from the truth if he remembered correctly. And this time, he was pretty sure he did. To think his dad would go so far as to... It really was worrisome, but he didn't think he'd make that mistake again.

He heard the bedroom door creak open softly, then close again after a few minutes. It was probably Gaster checking on them. He could only wonder what he was feeling after all that too--and he remembered _everything_ he'd done.

When Papyrus decided it was a reasonable hour to get up, he found Gaster in the kitchen making breakfast, and was pulled into a tight hug.

"Um, good morning dad!"

"Good morning Papyrus! Er, this may be a little odd, but I'm keeping you home today. I thought it'd be nice to... to spend some time together as a family. It's been too long since I had a proper break. I... I need some time away from work, it seems."

Papyrus could not have agreed more.

If only Gaster had kept out of making more mistakes like that.

 

\--

 

Sans stifled a yawn as his brother marched up, a shiny new puzzle certification in his hands. If he was honest, Papyrus had seemed a little distracted through the whole thing--though, not enough that most people would notice, but Sans was the observant sort. For one reason or another, it seemed like he'd had a lot on his mind ever since they'd gotten here.

"everything ok bro? you seem kinda... subdued for a guy who just basically got his dream job."

"It is not my dream job, Sans!" Papyrus retorted, folding the certificate and putting it away. "It is but one rung on my short ladder to success! I'll be head of the Guard in no time!"

"that's more like it," Sans teased, chuckling to himself. "i was worried you were getting cold feet."

"Oh my god!!" Papyrus shouted, and kicked snow up at him. "We literally can't!"

Sans ducked and laughed again; he loved getting Papyrus worked up and taking his mind off whatever might be troubling him. Papyrus was generally an optimistic, outgoing person, and Sans did everything he could to help him stay that way. When he fell into a quieter, more thoughtful mood... well, he never wanted to talk about what had gotten him down--and that was fine, maybe it was none of Sans' business--but Sans had a ready supply of bad jokes and minor, brotherly annoyances to invoke should he need cheering up.

And frankly, Sans could use a little levity himself. On top of having to be up before six today, there'd been that weird sense of deja vu again and the feeling something had happened involving a flower. Papyrus would sometimes tell him about a flower he talked to that was giving him weird advice, and while Sans maybe thought he was getting pranked... the fact he felt uneasy around Asgore's golden flowers these days suggested there was something more going on. Well, he'd keep an eye on it. The anomaly was still a thing, after all, and if it had been active today... he wanted to check on something.

"hey, now that you're the main puzzle guy around here, you wanna celebrate at grillby's?" Sans suggested as they walked along.

"While I appreciate the thought, brother, that involves stepping into that grease abyss and I don't want to even think about it!"

"eh, was worth a shot. in that case... if it's alright with you, now that your gig is over i think i'm gonna head back to bed. i've got some sleep to catch up on."

"Sans! The day's just started! Don't go back to sleep!" Papyrus scolded, waving his hands at him. "I think sleep is what's making you so tired all the time! You're taking naps so much that soon! The naps will take you!"

"yup, and here i go."

Sans ducked backwards into a shortcut before his brother could react. But he didn't end up in his bed, or even in his room. He stepped forward into the hidden lab beneath his house, and cast an eye on the machine. His mood fell--this thing, this damned thing had plagued him ever since he found it, and now it was just a source of frustration and sorrow. He'd worked so hard on it...

After events he couldn't quite remember, Gaster had switched gears and resurrected the time machine project with fresh vigor, retooling it somewhat into something that would do more than time travel--now they'd be looking for the raw essence that made up the universe. He shared all the data he'd collected from using his own resets, and they were finally making progress. Papyrus often joined them to help with assembly--he'd come to be quite accomplished at the mechanical aspects of puzzles and his fine attention to detail was just what the project needed. Years passed, and piece by piece, part by part, the machine became a refrigerator-sized engineering wonder. It wouldn't be long before it'd be ready for the first tests--it just needed a power supply.

And Gaster happened to have invented the best power supply known to monster kind--and probably even humans--outside of pure soul power. The Core supplied electricity to the whole Underground, but that was a fraction of its total potential output. They'd need everything it could produce, and Asgore had been informed there'd come a day that Gaster would need to enact a blackout. Sans was there for that conversation.

"You're going to do what?" Asgore had uttered, shocked.

"Erase the barrier," Gaster had repeated. "I believe that with the right variables, we should be able to dissolve the barrier at the quantum level. This machine will allow us to do that, but it needs an incredible amount of energy."

Asgore sat back in his throne, still looking perplexed. "Golly... I cannot say I understand what you are doing at all... but if you are confident it will free us, then by all means, pursue it. You said it would require cutting off power for a while?"

"Yes. Hopefully for no more than a day. I suggest saying that it is for maintenance purposes, as the truth is... rather complicated."

Asgore snorted a laugh. "Yes, it certainly is. Thank you for telling me, doctor."

With Asgore's blessing, they'd left to continue their work. The initial tests went well, Gaster had incorporated the timeline scanner into the design so it could be monitored while the machine was in use, and the Core was being configured for the big day. Sans had high hopes that even if they couldn't quite destroy the barrier, they were going to learn some very, very interesting things about the world. But there was still that anomaly to worry about.

"I still can't make sense of these readings," Gaster said, holding sheets of data out in front of him. "There can't just be nothing, can there?"

"If there's just nothing, doesn't that make it everything?" Papyrus piped up from where he was bent over a circuit board, and Gaster huffed.

"I suppose, but--maybe once we get the machine running we'll be able to get better data, or examine it first-hand."

"you realize you're basically talking about flying into a black hole, right?" Sans said from where he was checking on the calculations for the day.

Gaster stared into space for a moment. "Ah. Right."

"... you don't actually think that's a good idea, do you?"

"... While I admit I think it would be informative, you're right. Let's not," Gaster replied, and his sons chuckled at him. He was still so bad about letting his curiosity run away with him sometimes. "I'm going to keep probing this though. If we can figure out what the anomaly _is_ , maybe we can stop it."

They kept working. Papyrus graduated from school with top marks and finally joined the lab full-time. With him keeping them organized and on schedule, it looked like they'd be testing the machine soon. Sans couldn't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. They were going to do it--they were really all going to time travel and work to free monsters together.

The day came to connect the power. Gaster had reconfigured the lab's generator to tie in with the Core as well, lending just that bit more energy and serving as an emergency backup. It was a lot older than the Core so Sans had his doubts about how useful it would be, but Gaster assured him it was quite capable of supplying a surprising amount of power--not enough to send them where they wanted to go, but enough to keep the lights running, so to speak. Sans always had wondered what the red object was in that generator's core, but apparently it was reliable.

But they had bigger things to do, and it was the home stretch. The machine was moved to the main reactor room and secured. Sans ran the final diagnostic tests, making sure everything functioned as it should. Papyrus checked out the mechanics, ensuring nothing had been jostled in transit. Gaster took one last look over it all, and looked to them proudly. In the next few weeks, they'd see if all their hard work had been worth it as they started the first round of tests.

"Well boys, I think I've done all I can. That darkness is impenetrable, so I think it's time we got an up-close look at the universe, so to speak," Gaster said as one of their last days in the lab wound down. "I think it's time I made an entry in the log."

"Ooh! You haven't done entries in ages!" Papyrus spoke up, and Gaster nodded.

"psh, are you gonna make it all dramatic like the last one?" Sans teased.

"You know, I think I will. It'll be good for a laugh later, don't you think? Besides, our next experiment... I think we can afford to be excited about it."

"heh, sure. well, don't let us stop you now."

Gaster grinned, then walked over to the computer and opened the recording program.

"ENTRY NUMBER SEVENTEEN. DARK, DARKER, YET DARKER. THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING, SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER. PHOTON READINGS NEGATIVE. THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT SEEMS VERY, VERY INTERESTING... WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?"

The brothers stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"oh my god dad. that was so extra. now i know where papyrus gets his dramatics from."

"Excuse you!" Papyrus retorted. "I'm not the one who did a creepy voice when he thought his brother had taken the last cookie!"

"hey, that was one time," Sans shot back, laughing all the while. "i was like, eleven, school was rough, and i'd been looking forward to that all day."

"You should have said something, Sans, I swear I would have saved it for you," Gaster joined in, wrapping up his entry. "But yes. Sometimes even I like to be a little dramatic with the logs. Now, let's go home. We've got a lot ahead of us tomorrow."

Sans could hardly sleep from excitement, and was up earlier than usual. His soul practically buzzed with anticipation and nerves, and it almost became too much when they all arrived at the Core--Papyrus noticed the low rattle coming from his brother and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. He knew how much this meant to his brother.

Gaster would be the one directing the timeline. His sons would monitor everything, making sure the machine was running smoothly and helping to observe. First, they connected the power link for the first time--it fluctuated at first, but soon the machine hummed with magic. Beautiful. Next, they scanned the timeline, an easy way to test the device's ability to open the correct pathways in reality. They got the results they always had, which meant that was working too.

With everything in order, it was time to run the first true test of the machine's purpose. Gaster stood before it, and slipped on the helmet that would link him to the system and let him control it. Sans had always thought it looked kind of silly, but they hadn't thought of anything better. Gaster swept the wires connecting him aside, made sure his headgear was secure, and took a deep breath. This was it. They were really going to get an up-close look at what made the universe work. Gaster exchanged a look with his children, and activated the machine.

The Core shuddered. Sans exchanged a worried look with his brother--the floor pitched, knocking them all off balance. The machine tilted, Gaster still linked, and Sans reached out his hand--

There was indescribable noise, and then--

 

a

aa

  


aaaaaa

  


  


 

Numbers.

  


Everything was numbers.

Not random numbers. Specific ones.

  


Code.

If he could--

  


So that was how--

  


 

No no no he had to keep it together no no no no n o _n o_

 

_No._

He had to make it. He had to--

Find the right numbers. His numbers.

Put them back.

  


Put them--

  


  


 

Sans came to.

He couldn't move. His body refused, though at least he didn't seem to be in pain. That was good. But all he could do was stare up at the ceiling. Oh. That was a ceiling, wasn't it? Not utter blackness--utter nothingness. What ceiling was it? Where was he? Where... had he been?

He'd been at the Core, right. Doing...?

Testing a machine. Something he'd built with... with...

It didn't matter. He was too tired to think about it. He shut his eyes and slept.

The sensation of falling woke him up with a shock. Oh, seems like he could move now. He drew a breath and slowly rose against the aching of his joints--all of them, even the sutures. He reached up to rub at his eyes--and pain stabbed through his left, making him curl up as he clutched at it and waited for the pain to subside. Why--why? He didn't understand. What had--

It all came flooding back, all at once. Gaster's experiment had gone wrong and nearly taken the universe with it. He remembered fragments, and fragmenting, and pulling himself together; something had gone wrong with his eye, and though he thought he'd fixed it the pain suggested maybe not quite. While sifting through the data, he'd seen--secrets, hidden truths about what underlay their reality. Well. Gaster hadn't been wrong when he'd said they'd learn a lot. Sans drew a deep, shuddering breath, and let it out slowly.

That all could have gone better.

When the pain in his eye finally subsided, he got to his feet and slowly made his way down the hallway, a hand against the wall for balance. He was in the lab, he knew now--but something was weird about it. It was really dusty, like no one had been here in ages. Had he maybe accidentally ended up in the future? He needed to get out of here to find out the truth.

He got upstairs and found it just as empty. Maybe if he booted up the computer... he sat at the console and entered his password, only to have it rejected. Sans blinked and tried again, to get the same result. He furrowed his brows, and tried Gaster's--he wasn't supposed to know it but, well, he couldn't help being observant sometimes. But that was rejected too. Was it one of Gaster's really old passwords...? He didn't know those.

Sans sighed. He was too tired for this--he could find out some other way. He left the computer and stepped out to head through the Core and see if anyone was home. As he walked along, he passed someone he knew was an engineer and stopped them.

"hey pal, sorry to bug ya, but have you seen my dad around?"

The other monster looked up at him with confusion. "Your dad? What's he look like?"

It was Sans' turn to be confused. "uh... you know 'im. you work for the guy."

The other squinted at him. "I work for the Energy Corelition. I didn't think any of the board had a kid who looked like you."

"so... the board isn't headed by doctor gaster?"

The other shook their head. "I've never heard of him. Sorry."

Sans mulled this over. "ok, guess i got confused. thanks. sorry to bother you."

He let the other monster go on their way, and continued on his. Sure, Gaster didn't do much with the Corelition specifically, but he regularly inspected the Core and checked in with the staff all the time. Everyone at the Core knew who he was. Sans had some ideas that would explain it, but he hoped he was wrong. He needed more information.

He finally got home and found--someone else lived there. None of the neighbors recognized him. No one could remember any skeletons living next door. His hypothesis was gaining more and more evidence. But if the Core still existed, surely...

Sans headed back to the lab. He was wearing himself out, but he had to know for sure. He got to the main door and held his badge up to the scanner--and was denied here too. He glared at the reader and tried again, to no avail. He needed to get in there, to find out--he huffed, and turned to walk away, still thinking about how he might get in--and found he was. He stared. How...? No. That might as well happen today, he wasn't going to question a bit of help right now. He hurried downstairs and opened the main office to check the files. It looked like it had been cleared out at some point, and the only files that remained... were about constructing the Core, and none of them mentioned Gaster by name.

It was like Gaster had never existed. Or if he had... it hadn't been for a long time. And maybe it was long enough that...

Sans left the office in even more of a hurry. Despite the ache in his bones, he jogged down the halls, breath coming in ragged gasps. There was one last place he could check. He passed the DT Extractor--so he'd gotten to building that--but the room beyond... was largely blank. It was just a room. There were no pipes, no slots for stasis tubes. Gaster... in this world... had not experimented with cloning. Which meant...

Trying to quell the panic rising in his soul, Sans left the lab behind. He didn't know where he was headed now--his house wasn't his, the lab wasn't, there wasn't--

He wasn't home. This was the Underground, and it looked, for the most part, just like the world he'd left. But it wasn't his world. He'd never existed in this one. And neither had Papyrus.

Papyrus wasn't here.

Somewhere in Waterfall, Sans finally fell to his knees. He couldn't go on. If quantum physics had taught him anything, it was that the chances of Papyrus ending up in the same world were practically nothing. Gaster had apparently disappeared long ago. He had nothing, and no one.

He couldn't take it anymore. He sat numbly in the mud and let his mind drift away.

Sloshing broke into his hazy thoughts.

"What have we here?" a reedy voice said from somewhere ahead. "Another skeleton, and this one's lookin' mighty glum!"

Sans perked up. "a... another skeleton?"

"Yeah, I passed 'im a ways back. The last time I saw a skeleton--before I saw him, wahaha--was... hmm. I don't remember. You two know each other?"

Sans looked up to see an ancient tortoise-like monster making his way to him. He choked out an incredulous laugh and managed to rise from the shallow water. "heh... i think you met my brother papyrus. my name's sans. sans the skeleton."

The old turtle took his offered hand and shook. "Mine's Gerson. You look like you've seen better days, sonny. You alright there?"

"yeah. just... a bit rattled."

"Wahaha! Count on a skeleton for puns I always say..." Gerson trailed, then narrowed his eyes. "... I never say that."

Sans chuckled. "there's a first time for everything. where'd you see my bro? was he ok?"

Gerson stroked his chin. "He was back a ways, in the echo flowers. He seemed... kinda lost, but okay otherwise. You boys get into trouble or somethin'?"

"somethin'," Sans joked, and Gerson shook his head at him. "but it's fine now. thanks for telling me about my bro. it's a huge weight off my back. if you don't mind, i'm gonna go catch up with him."

"Hey, always happy to help. Stay safe out there, son."

Sans waved him off, then set out. Against all odds--somehow! Papyrus! He'd survived too--he could hardly believe it. He practically ran through the passageways, eyes darting as he scanned every corner, Papyrus, he had to find Papyrus! No, no, no, wait _there--!_

He was still in the field of echo flowers, entranced by their ceaseless whispers. Worry flickered in Sans' soul--was he really okay?

"papyrus!"

Papyrus jerked upright, looking around for the new voice--and spotted him, but rather than wear an expression of unbridled joy like Sans had expected, he just looked... confused.

"Hello?"

"hey bro... everything ok?"

"Yes, um..." Papyrus paused, and his face screwed up "... Sand?"

Sans stopped dead in his tracks. Papyrus didn't remember. He didn't remember his name, and if he didn't remember that, then he must not remember anything else. What was he going to do?

"Wait, wait, I misspoke!" Papyrus suddenly exclaimed, waving his hands and looking much happier now. "Sans! That is what your name is, and not the ridiculous thing I said. Are you alright? You look... extremely muddy and gross."

Sans laughed with relief. "heh, i'm--i'm fine bro, just tired. i'm... glad you are too. can we just kind of... chill here for a while?"

Papyrus blinked a couple times. "Um... maybe somewhere where there's not these weird flowers. They're creeping me out."

Sans nodded. "sure bro. let's find someplace to relax."

Sans led the way further into Waterfall until they found a quieter spot to sit down and overlook the caverns. As they sat, Sans found himself drifting asleep, but wasn't sure how comfortable Papyrus was with him yet... He'd remembered his name, but would they ever be close again...? He didn't count on it... and then Papyrus scooted a bit closer so that Sans was leaning against him, and his fears were put to rest. At least that hadn't been lost.

Sans awoke some time later; his eye was hurting again, and sleeping sitting up wasn't exactly good for his aching bones. But if he wanted a real bed to sleep in... a place for them to call home now that they had nothing... he had to find them a house. And he ought to do that sooner rather than later.

"oof... hey bro."

"Hello Sans! Did you sleep well?"

"yeah, i needed the nap. and, uh... i was thinking. how do you feel about getting a house?"

"Okay."

Sans blinked. That had been oddly straightforward. "heh, ok. where do you think we should live? new home? hotland?"

"Certainly not!" Papyrus immediately rebuked. Did he remember something about them...?

"whoa, uh, ok, ruling those out. that leaves waterfall and snowdin. how do you feel about those?"

"Better!"

"heh. ok. let's see what we can find. let's get moving, huh?"

They finally ended up in Snowdin, with a house that had stood empty for a while. It was great--right on the main thoroughfare through town, next to the library, not far from other amenities. And Snowdin was quiet and friendly, too, which seemed like a great environment to recover from losing everything. Sans put down all the gold he had on him, and they moved in and made themselves known around town. There was still no indication Papyrus remembered anything, so Sans didn't bring it up. He didn't want to know how Papyrus would react if he learned he'd lost all his friends, his prestige, everything. He worked on two things: taking care of Papyrus, and looking for Gaster and anything left of the world they'd come from.

He found scraps. Blueprints, an old photo... his brother's drawing of them all together from when he was like, three years old. He wrote on it, very carefully, "don't forget", because it seemed as time went on that Gaster was slipping from his mind more and more. He still remembered everything clearly, but only if he actually thought about it. He honed his skills with his 'shortcuts', letting him sneak into some of the forgotten places outside of reality. The day he discovered the machine--a blackened, gnarled mess--and his dad's home lab, he could have cheered. Maybe he really could fix things and get their old lives back.

... But he couldn't.

He knew that now. Even until about a year ago he'd thought he could, but it had been wearing on him until he had no energy to try, and he didn't know what to do anymore. He sat at the timeline scanner and ran its routine again, and confirmed--yep, anomaly was still a thing but hadn't kicked into high gear yet. He'd hoped after the disaster that the big black nothing at the end of the timeline had been their fault after all, the result of living in a dead end. But no. It was still there, looming. Even for all their hard work, they hadn't stopped or solved anything.

It didn't matter.

The best he could do... was give up on this project that had bogged him down for so long. Move on with his life. Try to find what happiness he could in a world where he couldn't count on the future existing. Make sure his brother was taken care of.

It hurt, deciding to give up. He was turning his back on his life's work, after all. But look where it had gotten him...

He drew a heavy sigh, and shut the machine off. He pulled the sheet back down, and shuffled from the room to lay on his bed. It'd be real nice if maybe he could lay here for... oh, a couple months maybe. But Papyrus would never let him. Heh. Papyrus was kind of taking care of him too, huh?

What a cool guy.

He didn't deserve anything that had or could happen to him. Sans hoped some of the events he'd seen while lost in the void, the glimpses of timelines to come, were only possibilities, but he had to be prepared for them. He would play his part--friend, observer, judge--however he needed to, and take what steps he could to prevent the worst from coming to pass. Because that was all he could hope for.

God. All he wanted to do was never do anything hard ever again. How was he the one who'd ended up with this job?

What a joke.

The universe sure had a cruel sense of humor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. This chapter ended up being 39 pages all by itself, but, well, a lot had to happen. I will say there's a certain pun I'm very proud of myself for, mostly because I can't believe I've never seen anyone else make it.
> 
> While I'm not sure when the next update will be, it shouldn't take as long as this one did, and that'll be the last one! Aw man. I hope you like it, and thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I'm new to Ao3 but not fandoms nor writing in general; I'm usually too shy to share, but I've invested too much in this particular story to just keep it to myself.
> 
> It's not a new subject--tons of other Undertale fans have written, drawn, and mused about what they think happened before the events of the game. But I wanted to explore my headcanons about it and maybe take it from a new angle, and what was initially envisioned as maybe being 30-40 pages long has become my first novel-length work. I still have to write the end, but I already have a good number of chapters logged and ready to go-- expect the next to be posted weekly!
> 
> Major shout-outs to my beta readers, and Tumblr users napstamuse, linssins, and others for a number of theory posts that have helped build my own thoughts about the events and characters of Undertale. Musical inspiration goes to "Sign Language" by DM Dokuro--check it out if you'd like to hear what I hope this story sounds like. :)


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